The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)has announced that 459 routes covering 72 airports, including nine heliports and two water aerodromes, have been operationalised till date under the UDAN scheme.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) study shows that air connectivity would have economic multipliers of 3.1 and an employment multiplier of 6.1.
Interestingly, the Government has planned to develop one hundred airports by 2024 to support the UDAN scheme and operationalise 1,000 UDAN routes under the scheme.
Eighteen Airports have been identified under UDAN in Uttar Pradesh, out of which Kanpur, Prayagraj, Kushinagar, Hindon, Agra & Bareilly have been operationalised. Likewise, six airports have been identified under the scheme in Rajasthan, out of which Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Kishangargh have been operationalised. Similarly, six airports have been identified in Odisha, out of which Jeypore, Jharsuguda and Rourkela have been operationalised.
Nine Heliports have been developed and operationalised in the NSOP category under the scheme in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Mandi and Rampur are in Himachal Pradesh, while Almora, Chinyalisaur, Gaucher, Haldwani, New Tehri, Sahastradhara and Srinagar are in Uttarakhand.
The market-driven scheme was launched on October 21, 2016, to enhance regional air connectivity from the country's unserved and underserved airports and make air travel affordable to the masses.
Photo is representational
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