Lok Sabha Question No. 1 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-01-29
Subject: Routes under UDAN Scheme
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Dilip Saikia, Shri Tapir Gao, Shri Anurag Sharma, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Smt. Anita Nagarsingh Chouhan, Shri Khagen Murmu, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Damodar Agrawal, Shri Pradeep Purohit, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1

(To be answered on the 29 th January 2026)

## ROUTES UNDER UDAN SCHEME

1.                 SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA

SHRI TAPIR GAO

SHRI ANURAG SHARMA

SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA

SMT ANITA NAGARSINGH CHOUHAN

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU

DR. SANJAY JAISWAL

SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL

SHRI PRADEEP PUROHIT

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:-

- (a) the present status of the UDAN scheme including the total number of routes operationalised, airports connected and passengers benefited since its inception;
- (b) the details of the modified UDAN scheme announced in the Budget for 2025-26 and its target for connecting new destinations over the next decade; Statewise;
- (c) the specific measures being taken to enhance air connectivity to remote, hilly and North Eastern regions under the revamped scheme;
- (d) the details of the Viability Gap Funding disbursed till date and the mechanism in  place  for  monitoring  sustainability  of  the  routes;  and  (e)  whether  the Government proposes to add new airstrips in Rajasthan under the said scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):  As  on  20.01.2026,  a  total  of  657  routes  have  been  operationalised, connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes carrying over 1.6 crore domestic passengers on more than 3.27 lakh RCS flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCSUDAN).

The  Government  has  announced  the  launch  of  the  modified  UDAN  Scheme  to increase regional connectivity to 120 new destinations across the country, to cater to 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years. The scheme will also support helipads and smaller airports in hilly, aspirational, and North East region districts. The scheme is presently at the approval stage.

(d) & (e): An amount of Rs. 4494 crores has been disbursed towards Viability Gap Funding (VGF)  to support the Selected Airline Operators. To  ensure the sustainability  of  the  routes,  the  UDAN  scheme  provides  financial  incentives  to airline  operators  on  regional  routes  that  include:  Concessions  by  the  Central Government, State Governments/Union Territories and airport operators to reduce airline operation costs and also the VGF to bridge the gap between operational costs and expected revenues on such routes.

Under the UDAN scheme, the list of existing unserved/underserved airstrips/airports/Water aerodromes for inclusion in the UDAN scheme is finalized in consultation with the State Government concerned. If the State Government of Rajasthan informs of the existence of airstrips and requests for its inclusion under UDAN, the same may be included in the scheme document.

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