Lok Sabha Question No. 129 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-26
Subject: Schemes/Projects in Civil Aviation Sector
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: NARANBHAI KACHHADIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. : 129

(To be answered on the 26 th  July 2018)

## SCHEMES/PROJECTS IN CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR

## *129. SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

- (a) to (c)  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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be pleased to state:-

(a) the details of the Schemes/Projects implemented/run by his Ministry in the country including Gujarat during the last three years and the current year, Scheme/ Project and State-wise;

(b)  the  targets  fixed  and  the  achievements  made  under  various schemes/projects being implemented in the Civil Aviation sector in the country including Gujarat during the above period, schemes/ projects and State-wise; and

(c)  the  number of persons/families benefited from the schemes/projects implemented/run by his Ministry in the country including Gujarat during the said period, scheme/project and State-wise?

## ANSWER

(Shri Suresh Prabhu)

Statement to be laid on the Table of the Lok Sabha in reply to Starred Question No. 129 dated 26.07.2018 regarding "Schemes/Projects in Civil Aviation Sector".

Ministry of Civil Aviation has implemented following scheme in last three years and current year :-

1.  Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN) -

The  Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  has  envisaged  a  scheme  for  Regional Connectivity in the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016. The Ministry launched Regional Connectivity Scheme, RCS (UDAN) on 21stOctober, 2016. The primary target of RCS is to facilitate / stimulate regional air connectivity in India including the State of Gujarat by making it affordable by supporting airline operators through (i) concessions by Central Government, State Governments and airport operators to reduce the cost of airline operations on regional routes / other support measures and (ii) financial (viability gap funding or VGF) support to meet the gap, if any, between the cost of airline operations and expected revenues on such routes.

Scheme is to be implemented by way of revival of un-served or under-served airports/routes, through budgetary support from the Govt. of India. It is planned to revive airstrips/airports at a total estimated cost of Rs.4500 crores. However, the development of airports/airstrips is to be undertaken only in those States where the State Govt. agrees to provide requisite concessions and there is a firm commitment from airlines to fly from/to such airports. Till now, Rs. 200.10 crore (Rs Two hundred crore ten lakhs only) has been sanctioned to Airports Authority of India (AAI) for revival/development of 50 un-served and under-served airstrips of State Governments, AAI, Civil Enclaves & CPSUs. Further, RCS-UDAN is a demand driven scheme where airline operators assess the demand on a particular route and bids under the Scheme from time to time. Airports Authority of India, the Implementing Agency has awarded 27 proposals to operate RCS flight from 43 RCS airports (12 underserved & 31 unserved) in the 1st Round of Bidding and has awarded 88 proposals (65 with Fixed Wing & 23 with Helicopter) to operate RCS flights from/to 30 {25 unserved & 5 underserved (unique)} airports In 2nd Round of Bidding.

The RCS flight operations from 30 airports have been commenced so far. The list of these airports are as under: Underserved airports: Agra, Bhavnagar, Diu, Gwalior, Kadapa, Jamnagar, Pondicherry, Shillong, Porbandar, Allahabad, Hubli, Tezpur. Unserved airports: Adampur, Bhatinda,  Bikaner,  Jagdalpur, Jalgaon , Jaisalmer, Kandla, Kanpur, Kolhapur, Ludhiana, Mundra, Mysore, Nanded, Ozar(Nasik), Pathankot, Salem, Shimla, Vidyanagar

The Scheme is implemented across the country. Under UDAN-1, 27 proposals are awarded and expected to provide around 13 lakh seats per annum of which half will be covered by airfare cap of Rs. 2500 /- for approximately one hour of flying. Around 25 lakhs RCS (approx.) seats and around 55 lakhs (approx.) total passenger seats will be available per annum under UDAN 2. As per RCS-UDAN weekly report of selected airline operators total number of passengers carried in UDAN RCS flights till 10th June 2018 were 450084. Out of that 72602 passengers were carried in UDAN RCS flights in state of Gujarat.

2.   N.E. Connectivity Scheme -

N.E. Connectivity Scheme  is a viability gap funding for connecting North East airports to rest of India. This scheme is implemented by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER). Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India Ltd,  operates flights in North Eastern Region with ATR42 type of aircraft under a MoU with North Eastern Council. The route schedule has been decided in consultation with North Eastern Council  and the aircraft is fully deployed. Presently, one ATR42 is available at Kolkata to operate the following flights: ?Kolkata/Shillong/Kolkata ? Daily ?Kolkata/Guwahati/Tezpur/Lilabari/Guwahati/Kolkata ? Four days/week

## ?Kolkata/Guwahati/Passighat & vv ? Three days/week

3.  Haj Subsidy -

The Government was giving Haj Subsidy in the last 3 years (2015-2017) but from 2018, Haj subsidy has been phased out by the government.

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