Over 157 lakh passengers benefit from 3.27 lakh UDAN flights, says government

More than 157 lakh passengers have benefited from 3.27 lakh UDAN flights, the government informed Parliament. Maharashtra saw two new airports and 34 new routes added, while Rs 4,352 crore in VGF has been released to strengthen regional air connectivity nationwide

New Delhi: More than 157 lakh passengers have benefited from the operation of 3.27 lakh Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN flights, connecting various destinations across the country, including tier 2 cities, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

During 2024-25, two airports, namely Amravati and Solapur, have been developed and operationalised in Maharashtra. Also, from January 2024 to November 2025, 34 RCS routes have been operationalised in Maharashtra, connecting various airports across the country, including those located in tribal or backward districts, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

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According to the minister, Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support and various concessions are provided to airline operators to incentivise their participation and ensure affordability.

“As of date, an amount of Rs 4,352 crore has been disbursed to support the selected airline operators in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the scheme,” the Minister informed.

The government monitors the utilisation and performance of UDAN routes through parameters such as load factor, on-time performance, aircraft deployment, and service sustainability, which are periodically reviewed through a structured monitoring mechanism.

Airports located in tribal or remote districts, including operational UDAN airports in Maharashtra, are regularly assessed, and the routes meeting the prescribed performance criteria continue to receive support to ensure sustained and reliable regional air connectivity in such underserved regions, said Mohol.

Today, UDAN stands as one of India’s most celebrated achievements, quietly weaving prosperity into the nation’s social and economic fabric. India’s civil aviation sector has grown faster than most global markets, catapulting the country into the top three domestic aviation markets worldwide.

Under the UDAN scheme, 649 routes have been operationalised, connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, which include 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes.