Lok Sabha Question No. 738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-07
Subject: Promotion of Air Travel
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Balak Nath

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 738

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  7th December 2023 )

## PROMOTION OF AIR TRAVEL

## 738.    SHRI BALAK NATH

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) the new sectors which have been identified by the Government
- to promote air travel in the country during the last three years;
- (b)  whether  private  and  public  sector  service  providers  have  been permitted to provide air services in the said identified sectors and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  any  increase  in  number  of  air  passengers  have  been noticed by the Government during the last three years and if so, the details thereof;and
- (d) whether the Government expects any increase in the number of air passengers by 2024 and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

Minister of  State in the Ministry of (GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

CIVIL  AVIATION

- (a):   Under  Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), 517 routes have been operationalised connecting 76 Airports since its' inception. Year-wise breakup of RCS airports and routes operationalised  in the last 3 years are available at AnnexureI & II.
- (b):  Under  the  UDAN    scheme,  both  private  and  public  sector entities  are involved in  providing air services. Private airlines viz. Indigo,  Spicejet,  Star  Air,  Heritage  Aviation,  Air  Taxi,  Fly  Big, IndiaOne Air and Public sector operators namely,  Alliance Air  and Pawan Hans Ltd. operate the flights. ;

(c)  &  (d):  The  details  of  passenger  growth  during  last  three  years are    at  Annexure-III.  India  is  one  of  the  fastest  growing  aviation markets in the world. As per the trends during the last three years the  number of air passengers is likely to increase during the year 2024.

******

List of RCS Airports operationalized during FY 2020-2023

| S. No.                                                  | Airport                                                 | Date of operationalization                              |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Financial Year 2020-21 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2020-21 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2020-21 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) |
| 1.                                                      | New Tehri - Heliport (Round-2)(Unserved)                | 29-Jul-2020                                             |
| 2.                                                      | Srinagar - Heliport (Round-2)(Unserved)                 | 29-Jul-2020                                             |
| 3.                                                      | Statue of Unity (W) (Round-3)(Unserved)                 | 31-Oct-2020                                             |
| 4.                                                      | Sabarmati River Front (W) (Round-3) (Unserved)          | 31-Oct-2020                                             |
| 5.                                                      | Darbhanga(Round-1)(Unserved)                            | 08-Nov-2020                                             |
| 6.                                                      | Hissar (Round-2)(Unserved)                              | 14-Jan-2021                                             |
| 7.                                                      | Bilaspur (Round-1)(Unserved)                            | 01-Mar-2021                                             |
| 8.                                                      | Bareilly (Unserved)                                     | 08-Mar-2021                                             |
| 9.                                                      | Kurnool (Unserved) (Round-3)                            | 28-Mar-2021                                             |
| Financial Year 2021-22 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2021-22 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2021-22 (Total 9 Nos. Unserved airports) |
| 1.                                                      | Rupsi (Unserved)                                        | 08-May-2021                                             |
| 2.                                                      | Passighat (Unserved)                                    | 24-May-2021                                             |
| 3.                                                      | Tezu (Unserved)                                         | 15-Aug-2021                                             |
| 4.                                                      | Haldwani - Heliport (Round-2) (Unserved)                | 08-Oct-2021                                             |
| 5.                                                      | Sindhudurg (Unserved)                                   | 09-Oct-2021                                             |
| 6.                                                      | Kushinagar (unserved)                                   | 26-Nov-2021                                             |
| 7.                                                      | Mandi - Heliport (Round-2) (Unserved)                   | 09-Dec-2021                                             |
| 8.                                                      | Rampur - Heliport (Round-2) (Unserved)                  | 14-Dec-2021                                             |
| 9.                                                      | Gondia (Round-4( (Unserved)                             | 13-Mar-2022                                             |
| Financial Year 2022-23 (Total 8 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2022-23 (Total 8 Nos. Unserved airports) | Financial Year 2022-23 (Total 8 Nos. Unserved airports) |
| 1.                                                      | Keshod (Round-2) (Unserved)                             | 16-Apr-2022                                             |
| 2.                                                      | Deoghar (Round-4.1) (Unserved)                          | 12-July-2022                                            |
| 3.                                                      | Jeypore (Round-1) (Unserved)                            | 03-Aug-2022                                             |
| 4.                                                      | Almora - Heliport (Round-2) (Unserved)                  | 26-Aug-2022                                             |
| 5.                                                      | Rourkela (Round-1) (Unserved)                           | 07-Jan-2023                                             |

Annexure-I

|   6. | Hollongi (Round-4.3) (Unserved)   | 15-Jan-2023   |
|------|-----------------------------------|---------------|
|    7 | Jamshedpur (Round-1) (Unserved)   | 31-Jan-2023   |
|    8 | Cooch Behar (Round-1) (Unserved)  | 21-Feb-2023   |

## Annexure-II

## RCS Routes operationalised Year-wise under UDAN

| Year   |   No. of RCS Routes operationalized |
|--------|-------------------------------------|
| 2021   |                                 102 |
| 2022   |                                  52 |
| 2023   |                                  60 |
| Total  |                                 214 |

## Annexure-III

| Passengers carried and Growth of Indian operators for Schedule Domestic Operations& International Operations from F.Y 2020-21 to 2022-23 (P)   | Passengers carried and Growth of Indian operators for Schedule Domestic Operations& International Operations from F.Y 2020-21 to 2022-23 (P)   | Passengers carried and Growth of Indian operators for Schedule Domestic Operations& International Operations from F.Y 2020-21 to 2022-23 (P)   | Passengers carried and Growth of Indian operators for Schedule Domestic Operations& International Operations from F.Y 2020-21 to 2022-23 (P)   | Passengers carried and Growth of Indian operators for Schedule Domestic Operations& International Operations from F.Y 2020-21 to 2022-23 (P)   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Financial Year                                                                                                                                 | Passengers(in numbers)                                                                                                                         | Passengers(in numbers)                                                                                                                         | Passengers(in numbers)                                                                                                                         | Passengers(in numbers)                                                                                                                         |
| Financial Year                                                                                                                                 | Schedule Domestic Passengers                                                                                                                   | International Passengers                                                                                                                       | Total Passengers                                                                                                                               | Growth(in %)                                                                                                                                   |
| 2020-21                                                                                                                                        | 53,330,502                                                                                                                                     | 5,427,003                                                                                                                                      | 58,757,505                                                                                                                                     | -64.2                                                                                                                                          |
| 2021-22                                                                                                                                        | 84,184,459                                                                                                                                     | 10,216,538                                                                                                                                     | 94,400,997                                                                                                                                     | 60.7                                                                                                                                           |
| 2022- 23(*P)                                                                                                                                   | 136,028,656                                                                                                                                    | 23,876,218                                                                                                                                     | 159,904,874                                                                                                                                    | 69.4                                                                                                                                           |

*P- Provisional.