Lok Sabha Question No. 1394 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: New Air Routes under UDAN 4.2
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Sudheer Gupta, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Santosh Kumar, Prataprao  Jadhav, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Subrata Pathak, Kaushalendra Kumar, Ravindra Kushawaha, Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1394 (To be answered on the 15 th  December 2022)

## NEW AIR ROUTES UNDER UDAN 4.2

## 1394. SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE

SHRI SAMBHAJIRAO MANE DHAIRYASHEEL

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV

SHRI RAVI KISHAN

SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK

SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR

SHRI RAVINDRA KUSHWAHA

SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government proposes to start 120 new air routes under the UDAN 4.2 scheme in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has identified these new air routes including regional/digital air routes and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the time by which the new air routes are likely to be operational;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to provide cheap air fare tickets to passengers to popularize air travel among common man in the country and if
- so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details of other steps taken by the Government to provide last mile air
- connectivity in the country;
- (f) whether the Government proposes to connect remote areas of the country with the helicopter service and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard; and
- (g) whether the Government proposes to include Nalanda under the said scheme, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

(a) to (c): Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementation Agency, has awarded 132 UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) routes to the Selected Airline Operators under 4.2 bidding round for operation of flights under the scheme. Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) under UDAN are obligated to commence the flight operations on a route within a period of 180 days from the issuance of Letter of Award unless any extension is granted by the Implementing Agency. (d) & (e): Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21-10-2016 to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country and making air travel affordable to the masses. Under the UDAN Scheme, the Government has targeted an indicative airfare at Rs. 2500 for a distance of 500 km to 600 km per RCS seat under Regional Connectivity routes (equivalent to one-hour flight). Selected Airline Operator is required to provide upto 50% of the aircraft seating capacity or maximum 40 seats, whichever is lower, as Seats in a fixed wing aircraft under UDAN. This airfare is subject to indexation as per the formula specified in the UDAN Scheme document. UDAN is a market driven scheme. Interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN. (f): Helicopter operations are permissible in priority areas under UDAN Scheme, which includes Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, North Eastern Region States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. During four round of bidding under UDAN, 40 Heliports in the remote/ Priority area in the North Eastern States, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been identified for operation of Helicopter flights. 40 Helicopter routes connecting  9  Heliports  have  commenced  operations  in  the  States  of Uttarakhand  and  Himachal  Pradesh. (g): Nalanda, Bihar is not available in the tentative list of unserved airports in the UDAN Scheme Document. However, for the forthcoming round of bidding under UDAN, if the State Government of Bihar requests to include the same under UDAN, the same shall be considered as per the provisions of scheme document.

- *****