Lok Sabha Question No. 477 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-28
Subject: Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre, Shri Vijay Kumar Dubey, Shri Alok Sharma, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Shri Manish Jaiswal, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Shri Ganesh Singh, Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Shri Miteshbhai Rameshbhai Patel, Shri Parshottambhai Rupala, Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel, Shri Naba Charan Majhi, Shri Khagen Murmu, Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 477

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  28th November 2024 )

REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY SCHEME &#40;RCS&#41;UDAN

## 477.    SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA

SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY

SHRI ALOK SHARMA

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH

SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE

SHRI MANISH JAISWAL

SMT SMITA UDAY WAGH

SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL

SHRI BASAVARAJ BOMMAI

SHRI GANESH SINGH

SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR

SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI

SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI

- DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA

SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSHI

DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI

SMT APARAJITA SARANGI

- SHRI MITESH PATEL BAKABHAI

SHRI PARSHOTTAMBHAI RUPALA

SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI

SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL

SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL

SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU

SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP

SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

## be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  specific  data  regarding  the  progress  and  impact  of  the Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  (RCS)  -  UDAN  since  its  inception across the country, State/UT-wise particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra;
- (b) the number of routes and airports that have been operationalized across the country including Jalgaon Airport under the said scheme till date;
- (c)  the  total  number  of  passengers  across  the  country  who  have been benefited from the said scheme till date, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the details of the financial allocation and the utilization of funds for development of airports across the country, State/UT-wise under
- the said scheme;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  include  more  cities under the scheme, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Odisha and Jharkhand; and
- (f) the manner in which the UDAN scheme contributed to environmental goals, specifically in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and minimizing oil imports?

## ANSWER

## Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL  AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

- (a)  &  (b):  As  on  25.11.2024,  609  routes  connecting  86  airports, including 2 Water Aerodromes and 13 Heliports, have been operationalised  under  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  (RCS)  Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN). This includes 32 routes in Odisha, 8 Routes in Jharkhand, 32 Routes in Himachal Pradesh, 87 Routes in Uttar  Pradesh  and  105  Routes  in  Maharashtra  which  have  been
- operationalised. 16 Routes have been operationalised from Jalgaon Airport so far.  The State/UT-wise list  of Airports , including those in Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra  is attached as Annexure.;
- (c):  More than146 lakh passengers across the country have so far benefited from the RCS. As  the air connectivity usually  extends  to more than two States,  data with respect to State wise number of beneficiaries is not maintained.  ;
- (d):  An    expenditure  of  INR  4135.45  Cr.  has  been  incurred  for revival/development of airports under the Scheme as on 31.10.2024.; (e): UDAN is a demand driven ongoing scheme where bidding rounds are conducted from time to time to cover more destinations/stations and  routes  and  interested  airlines,  based  on  their  assessment  of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under the Scheme. The development/revival/up-gradation of unserved and underserved airports/airstrips is undertaken upon its identification  through  valid  bid  and  award  to  the  Selected  Airline Operator  (SAO).  Amarda,  Rangeilunda  and  Rairangpur  airstrips  in Odisha  and  Bokaro  and  Dumka  airstrips  in  Jharkhand  have  been identified for development under the Scheme. ;
- (f):    The Government has implemented several measures to reduce carbon  emissions  and  their impact  on  environment,  which  is applicable  to  operations  and  airports  under  the  UDAN  Scheme  as
- well. The measures  include:
- i. Airport operators and developers have been  advised to strive for carbon  neutrality  and  net-zero  emissions  and  to  adopt  carbon mitigation measures and develop carbon management plans. Airports have implemented various practices to reduce their carbon footprint, such as utilizing renewable energy, optimizing operational procedures  and  schedules  and  incorporating  alternative  fuels  in ground handling vehicles.
- ii.  DGCA  has  issued  the  Civil  Aviation  Requirement  (CAR),  Section 10 titled 'Aviation Environmental Protection,' Series B, Part I. This requirement  outlines  the  general  procedures  and  practices  that stakeholders should follow to minimize aviation emissions and their impact on climate change.
- iii.  Airlines  have  implemented  measures  to  reduce  their  carbon footprint, such as reducing aircraft weight, preventing moisture and

dirt accumulation on aircraft, and optimizing speed and flap management. iv.  AAI,  in  consultation  with  the  Indian  Air  Force,  has  optimized airspace  utilization  through  the  Flexible  Use  of  Airspace  (FUA) initiative, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions. v. AAI has introduced a training module for Air Traffic Controllers to raise awareness about carbon neutrality as part of their induction training program.

******

## ANNEXURE

## List of RCS Airports operationalized as on 25-11-2024

(Total 86 Nos. including 20 Underserved and 66 Unserved airports)

|   S No. | State             | Airport                              | Owner                      | Date of Operationalisation   |
|---------|-------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------|
|       1 | Andhra Pradesh    | Kadapa (Underserved)                 | AAI                        | 27-April-2017                |
|       2 |                   | Kurnool (Unserved)                   | AP Airports Dev. Corp. Ltd | 28-march 2021                |
|       3 | Arunachal Pradesh | Tezu (Unserved)                      | AAI                        | 15 August 2021               |
|       4 |                   | Passighat (Unserved)                 | IAF (CE-SG)                | 24-May 2021                  |
|       5 |                   | Hollongi (Unserved)                  | AAI                        | 15-Jan-2023                  |
|       6 | Assam             | Jorhat (Underserved)                 | IAF(CE-AAI)                | 1-Aug-2018                   |
|       7 |                   | Lilabari (Underserved)               | AAI                        | 15-Jan-2019                  |
|       8 |                   | Tezpur (Underserved)                 | IAF(CE-AAI)                | 26-April-2018                |
|       9 |                   | Rupsi (Unserved)                     | AAI                        | 8-May 2021                   |
|      10 | Bihar             | Darbhanga (Unserved)                 | IAF(CE-AAI)                | 08-Nov-2020                  |
|      11 | Chhattisgarh      | Jagdalpur (Unserved)                 | State Govt.                | 14-June-2018                 |
|      12 |                   | Bilaspur (Unserved)                  | State Govt.                | 1-March-2021                 |
|      13 | Daman &Diu        | Diu (Underserved)                    | AAI                        | 24-Feb-2018                  |
|      14 | Gujarat           | Bhavnagar (Underserved)              | AAI                        | 1-May-2018                   |
|      15 |                   | Jamnagar (Underserved)               | IAF (CE-AAI)               | 17-Feb-2018                  |
|      16 |                   | Kandla (Unserved)                    | AAI                        | 1-July-2017                  |
|      17 |                   | Keshod (Unserved)                    | AAI                        | 16-Apr-2022                  |
|      18 |                   | Mundra (Unserved)                    | Private                    | 17-Feb-2018                  |
|      19 |                   | Porbandar (Underserved)              | AAI                        | 10-July-2017                 |
|      20 |                   | Statue of Unity (W) (Unserved)       | State Govt.                | 31-Oct-2020                  |
|      21 |                   | Sabarmati River Front (W) (Unserved) | State Govt.                | 31-Oct-2020                  |
|      22 | Haryana           | Hissar (Unserved)                    | State Govt.                | 14-Jan-2021                  |
|      23 | Himachal Pradesh  | Shimla (Unserved)                    | AAI                        | 27-April-2017                |
|      24 |                   | Kullu (Underserved)                  | AAI                        | 13-May-2019                  |
|      25 |                   | Mandi - Heliport (Unserved)          | State Govt.                | 09-Dec-2021                  |
|      26 |                   | Rampur - Heliport (Unserved)         | State Govt.                | 14-Dec-2021                  |
|      27 | Jharkhand         | Deoghar (Unserved)                   | AAI-Jharkhand (JV)         | 12-July-2022                 |
|      28 |                   | Jamshedpur (Unserved)                | TATA Steel Ltd.            | 31-Jan-2023                  |
|      29 | Karnataka         | Belgaum (Underserved)                | AAI                        | 1-May-2019                   |
|      30 |                   | Hubli (Underserved)                  | AAI                        | 14-May-2018                  |
|      31 |                   | Mysore (Unserved)                    | AAI                        | 2-Sep-2017                   |
|      32 |                   | Vidyanagar (Unserved)                | Private                    | 21-Sep-2017                  |
|      33 |                   | Kalaburgi (Gulbarga) (Unserved)      | AAI                        | 22-Nov-2019                  |
|      34 |                   | Bidar (Unserved)                     | IAF(CE-SG)                 | 07-Feb-2020                  |
|      35 |                   | Shivamogga (Unserved)                | SG                         | 21-Nov-2023                  |
|      36 | Kerala            | Kannur (Unserved)                    | Private (KIAL)             | 25-Jan-2019                  |
|      37 | Lakshadweep       | Agatti (Underserved)                 | AAI                        | 18-April-2024                |

|   S No. | State            | Airport                             | Owner        | Date of Operationalisation   |
|---------|------------------|-------------------------------------|--------------|------------------------------|
|      38 | Madhya Pradesh   | Gwalior (Underserved)               | IAF (CE-AAI) | 31-May-2017                  |
|      39 | Maharashtra      | Gondia (Unserved)                   | AAI          | 13-March-2022                |
|      40 |                  | Jalgaon (Unserved)                  | AAI          | 23-Dec-2017                  |
|      41 |                  | Kolhapur (Unserved)                 | AAI          | 8-April-2018                 |
|      42 |                  | Nanded (Unserved)                   | Reliance     | 27-April-2017                |
|      43 |                  | Ozar (Nasik) (Unserved)             | HAL          | 23-Dec-2017                  |
|      44 |                  | Sindhudurg (Unserved)               | IRB Infra    | 9-October -2021              |
|      45 | Manipur          | Jiribam Heliport (Unserved)         | State Govt.  | 13.03.2024                   |
|      46 |                  | Tamenglong Heliport (Unserved)      | State Govt.  | 13.03.2024                   |
|      47 | Meghalaya        | Shillong (Underserved)              | AAI          | 26-April-2018                |
|      48 | Nagaland         | Dimapur (Underserved)               | AAI          | 07-Dec-2019                  |
|      49 | Odisha           | Jharsuguda (Unserved)               | AAI          | 22-Sep-2018                  |
|      50 |                  | Jeypore (Unserved)                  | State Govt.  | 03-Aug-2022                  |
|      51 |                  | Rourkela (Unserved)                 | SAIL         | 07-Jan-2023                  |
|      52 |                  | Utkela (Unserved)                   | State Govt.  | 31-Aug-2023                  |
|      53 | Pondicherry (UT) | Pondicherry (Underserved)           | AAI          | 16-Aug-2017                  |
|      54 | Punjab           | Adampur (Unserved)                  | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 1-May-2018                   |
|      55 |                  | Bhatinda (Unserved)                 | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 27-April-2017                |
|      56 |                  | Ludhiana (Unserved)                 | AAI          | 2-Sep-2017                   |
|      57 |                  | Pathankot (Unserved)                | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 5-April-2018                 |
|      58 | Rajasthan        | Bikaner (Unserved)                  | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 26-Sep-2017                  |
|      59 |                  | Jaisalmer (Unserved)                | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 29-Oct-2017                  |
|      60 |                  | Kishangarh (Unserved)               | AAI          | 8-Oct-2018                   |
|      61 | Sikkim           | Pakyong (Unserved)                  | AAI          | 4-Oct-2018                   |
|      62 | Tamil Nadu       | Salem (Unserved)                    | AAI          | 25-Mar-2018                  |
|      63 | Uttar Pradesh    | Agra (Underserved)                  | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 8-Dec-2017                   |
|      64 |                  | Aligarh (Unserved)                  | State Govt.  | 11-March-2024                |
|      65 |                  | Azamgarh (Unserved)                 | State Govt.  | 11-March-2024                |
|      66 |                  | Bareilly (Unserved)                 | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 08-Mar-2021                  |
|      67 |                  | Chitrakoot (Unserved)               | State Govt.  | 12-March-2024                |
|      68 |                  | Moradabad (Unserved)                | AAI          | 10-August-2024               |
|      69 |                  | Prayagraj (Underserved)             | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 14-June-2018                 |
|      70 |                  | Kanpur (Chakeri) (Unserved)         | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 3-July-2018                  |
|      71 |                  | Hindon (Unserved)                   | IAF(CE-AAI)  | 11-Oct-2019                  |
|      72 |                  | Shravasti (Unserved)                | State Govt.  | 12-March-2024                |
|      73 |                  | Kushinagar (Unserved)               | AAI          | 26-Nov-2021                  |
|      74 | Uttarakhand      | Pantnagar (Underserved)             | AAI          | 4-Jan-2019                   |
|      75 |                  | Pithoragarh (Unserved)              | State Govt.  | 17-Jan-2019                  |
|      76 |                  | Sahastradhara - Heliport (Unserved) | State Govt.  | 08-Feb-2020                  |
|      77 |                  | Chinyalisaur - Heliport (Unserved)  | State Govt.  | 08-Feb-2020                  |
|      78 |                  | Gaucher - Heliport (Unserved)       | State Govt.  | 08-Feb-2020                  |
|      79 |                  | New Tehri - Heliport (Unserved)     | State Govt.  | 29-July-2020                 |

|   S No. | State       | Airport                         | Owner       | Date of Operationalisation   |
|---------|-------------|---------------------------------|-------------|------------------------------|
|      80 |             | Srinagar - Heliport (Unserved)  | State Govt. | 29-July-2020                 |
|      81 |             | Haldwani - Heliport (Unserved)  | State Govt. | 8-Oct-2021                   |
|      82 |             | Almora - Heliport (Unserved)    | Army        | 26-Aug-2022                  |
|      83 |             | Champawat - Heliport (Unserved) | State Govt. | 22-Feb-2024                  |
|      84 |             | Munsyari - Heliport (Unserved)  | State Govt. | 22-Feb-2024                  |
|      85 | West Bengal | Cooch Behar (Unserved)          | AAI         | 21-Feb-2023                  |
|      86 |             | Durgapur (Underserved)          | Private     | 25-June-2019                 |