The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s flagship program Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) has completed 5 years of success since the launch of it first flight on 21 October 2016. The main aim of the scheme has been connecting small and medium cities with big cities through air service.

The ambitious scheme has provided air connectivity to more than 29 States/UTs with the initiation of 425 new routes. The UDAN scheme has benefited over 1 crore passengers as on 4 August 2022 and the government is expecting 40 crore travellers through Civil Aviation in India in next four years.

Jyotiraditya Scindia the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India said: “That day is not far when along with rail transport and road transport Civil Aviation will become the bulwark of the transportation in India.”

220 destinations (airports/heliports/water aerodromes) under UDAN are targeted to be completed by 2026 with 1,000 routes to provide air connectivity to unconnected destinations in the country. Under UDAN, 954 routes have already been awarded to connect 156 airports.

From just 74 operational airports in 2014, the number has jumped up to 141 by now, according to the ministry. 68 underserved/unserved destinations which include 58 Airports, 8 Heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been connected under the scheme.