The Central Government has taken a big step to make air travel accessible to the common people in the country. The revised UDAN scheme has been approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under this scheme, 100 new airports will be built across the country and 120 new destinations will be added. About 4 crore passengers are expected to benefit from this. The government aims to connect small and remote cities with the air network. For this, an airport will be made by developing the existing small airstrip. About ₹12,159 crore will be spent on this project. With this, it will now become easier for people from small towns to reach big cities.
Construction of 200 modern helipads also
200 new modern helipads will also be built under the scheme. These will be constructed especially in hilly and remote areas, so that air connectivity can be strengthened there. Each helipad will cost around ₹15 crore and a total budget of ₹3,661 crore has been fixed for it.
Government will provide financial assistance for new routes
The government will provide financial help to airlines to fly on new and less profitable routes. This is called Viability Gap Funding. For this, about ₹ 10,043 crore will be spent in the next 10 years. With this, new air routes will be developed and passengers will get more options.
Small cities will get big benefits
Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will get the most benefit from this scheme. Trade, tourism and employment opportunities will increase in these areas. Besides, emergency services and health facilities in hilly and remote areas will also be strengthened.
10 year big investment plan
This scheme will be applicable from the financial year 2026-27 to 2035-36. During this period, a total of ₹ 28,840 crore will be spent to strengthen air connectivity. This is considered a big investment for India’s aviation sector.