Lok Sabha Question No. 3211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-18
Subject: Routes under UDAN Scheme
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3211

(TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18th December 2025)

## ROUTES UNDER UDAN SCHEME

## 3211.    DR. DHARAMVIRA GANDHI Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  details  of  all  regional  connectivity  routes  awarded  under  the  UDAN  scheme  till 31.10.2025, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details and operational status of all these regional connectivity routes under UDAN as on 31.10.2025, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the details of the number of UDAN routes closed prematurely since their commencement along with the reasons for such closure, State/UT-wise;
- (d)  the  number of airports developed under the said scheme that have no regular flights at present; and
- (e) the steps taken to address these gaps and improve the viability of the UDAN routes?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):  A  state  wise  list  of  awarded,  operationalised  and  discontinued  routes  under Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  -  Ude  Desh  ka  Aam  Nagrik  (RCS-UDAN)  is  placed  at Annexure.

Key reasons for discontinuation of routes before 3-years tenure include disruption caused by the  COVID-19  pandemic,  aircraft  shortage,  supply  chain  issues,  aircraft  maintenance, airport/runway maintenance, low passenger demand on some routes, etc.

- (d) & (e): As on date, fourteen Airports are non-operational under the UDAN Scheme due to factors  such  as  completion  of  the  three-year  concession  period,  poor  visibility  conditions, daytime  runway  restrictions  at  VFR  only  airports,  shortage  of  aircraft,  leasing  issues, temporary discontinuation by airlines, novation of routes, and low passenger load factors.

In order to ensure uninterrupted flight operations on these routes, the government provides viability  gap  funding  (VGF)  to  airlines,  supports  the  upgrading  of  regional  airports,  and encourages operational flexibility.

Further,  routes  that  were  discontinued  in  the  past  rounds  are  also  rebid,  awarded  and operationalised  in  subsequent  rounds.  Moreover,  steps  such  as  increased  adoption  of technologies like Special Visual Flight Rules and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) standards at feasible airports for all-weather operations have also been taken.

******

## ANNEXURE

## Details of State-Wise Awarded, Operationalised and Discontinued Routes under RCSUDAN

|    | State/UT                           |   No. of Awarded Routes |   No. of Operationalised Routes |   No. of routes discontinued before 3 years |
|----|------------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
|  1 | Andaman &Nicobar Island            |                       6 |                               0 |                                           0 |
|  2 | Andhra Pradesh                     |                      19 |                              18 |                                           3 |
|  3 | Arunachal Pradesh                  |                      16 |                              10 |                                           3 |
|  4 | Assam                              |                      59 |                              36 |                                          12 |
|  5 | Bihar                              |                      12 |                              10 |                                           3 |
|  6 | Chandigarh                         |                       6 |                               3 |                                           0 |
|  7 | Chhattisgarh                       |                      14 |                              13 |                                           2 |
|  8 | Dadar &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |                      11 |                               5 |                                           0 |
|  9 | Delhi                              |                      22 |                              19 |                                           2 |
| 10 | Goa                                |                      11 |                               7 |                                           0 |
| 11 | Gujarat                            |                      57 |                              44 |                                           9 |
| 12 | Haryana                            |                       4 |                               3 |                                           2 |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh                   |                      47 |                              23 |                                           4 |
| 14 | Jammu &Kashmir                     |                       4 |                               2 |                                           1 |
| 15 | Jharkhand                          |                      12 |                               5 |                                           3 |
| 16 | Karnataka                          |                      71 |                              66 |                                          11 |
| 17 | Kerala                             |                      15 |                              12 |                                           0 |
| 18 | Ladakh                             |                       0 |                               0 |                                           0 |
| 19 | Lakshadweep                        |                      18 |                               1 |                                           0 |
| 20 | Madhya Pradesh                     |                      28 |                              27 |                                           4 |
| 21 | Maharashtra                        |                      75 |                              65 |                                           4 |
| 22 | Manipur                            |                      24 |                              13 |                                           1 |
| 23 | Meghalaya                          |                      11 |                               9 |                                           1 |
| 24 | Mizoram                            |                      11 |                               2 |                                           0 |
| 25 | Nagaland                           |                      17 |                               4 |                                           0 |
| 26 | Odisha                             |                      23 |                              18 |                                           3 |
| 27 | Puducherry                         |                       1 |                               1 |                                           0 |
| 28 | Punjab                             |                      21 |                              17 |                                           5 |
| 29 | Rajasthan                          |                      37 |                              31 |                                           7 |
| 30 | Sikkim                             |                       6 |                               3 |                                           1 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu                         |                      24 |                              14 |                                           1 |
| 32 | Telangana                          |                      30 |                              29 |                                           2 |
| 33 | Tripura                            |                       7 |                               3 |                                           0 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh                      |                      96 |                              57 |                                          20 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand                        |                      81 |                              60 |                                          16 |
| 36 | West Bengal                        |                      27 |                              21 |                                           3 |