Lok Sabha Question No. 6436 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-02
Subject: Affordable Regional Air Connectivity under UDAN Scheme
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato, Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Shri Tapir Gao, Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Dr. M K Vishnu Prasad, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Smt. Kamlesh Jangde, Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar, Shri Dilip Saikia, Shri Damodar Agrawal, Shri Lumbaram Choudhary, Shri P P Chaudhary, Smt. Malvika Devi, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Shri Khagen Murmu, Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, Shri Rodmal Nagar, Shri Dineshbhai Makwana, Shri Tejasvi Surya, Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 6436

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  2nd April 2026 )

## AFFORDABLE REGIONAL AIR CONNECTIVITY UNDER UDAN

## SCHEME

6436.    SMT MALVIKA DEVI

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA

SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI

SMT SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA

SHRI P P CHAUDHARY

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

SMT MAHIMA KUMARI MEWAR

DR. M K VISHNU PRASAD

SMT KAMLESH JANGDE

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH

SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY

DR. VINOD KUMAR BIND

SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA

SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY

SHRI TEJASVI SURYA

SHRI DINESHBHAI MAKWANA

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU

SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM

SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI

SHRI TAPIR GAO

SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL

SHRI RODMAL NAGAR

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  further  expand  the  Ude  Desh  ka  Aam  Nagrik (UDAN)  scheme  to  connect  additional  Tier-2  and  Tier-3  cities  and  remote  areas  through affordable regional air connectivity;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the number of additional airports, heliports and water aerodromes proposed to be operationalised in the upcoming phases, State-wise;

(c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  commence  regular  flights  from  Manpur  airstrip during the current session; and

(d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the operational sustainability of routes under the UDAN scheme, particularly with regard to Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and airline participation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The Government has recently approved a modified UDAN Scheme to connect 120 new  destinations,  serve  4  crore  passengers  over  the  next  10  years.  The  scheme  will  also support helipads and small airports in hilly, aspirational and North East region districts.

Any valid proposal for air connectivity to Manpur (Abu Road) Airstrip may be considered as per the scheme provisions.

(d):    An  evaluation  study  titled  "Evaluation  Study  of  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme"  was conducted  by  the  Development  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Office  (DMEO),  NITI  Aayog during 2023-24. The study highlighted the need for clearer targets, improved route selection based  on  regional  market  conditions,  adequate  funding  of  the  Regional  Connectivity  Fund (RCF), feasibility assessments for RCS airports, capacity building and stronger coordination with State/UT Governments.

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