The Ministry of Civil Aviation addressed Unstarred Question No. 3105 in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 2025, regarding helicopter corridors. The question was raised by Smt Vijaylakshmi Devi.
The response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol, indicates that during the second round of bidding under the RCS-UDAN scheme, 80 RCS helicopter routes have been operationalised, connecting 15 heliports across eight priority States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand. The government has announced a modified UDAN scheme to increase regional connectivity to 120 new destinations, catering to 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years and supporting helipads and smaller airports in hilly, aspirational, and North East region districts. The scheme is currently in the formulation stage.
Key Entities Referenced
UDAN Scheme: A scheme to increase regional connectivity, especially via helicopter routes.
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The primary government body responsible for civil aviation policies.
Bihar: A state where helicopter corridors are specifically proposed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3105
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18th December 2025 )
HELICOPTER CORRIDORS
3105. SMT VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government proposes to set up helicopter corridors to start helicopter services
from all States across the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether any timeline has been fixed for completion of this action plan and if so, the
details thereof; and
(c) the details of the helicopter corridors proposed to be set up in Bihar, district and location-
wise?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar
Mohol)
(a) to (c): During the second round of bidding under the RCS–UDAN scheme and subsequent
rounds, various helipads were identified and helicopter routes were awarded to operators to
provide connectivity to hilly terrains and far-flung areas. A total of 80 RCS helicopter routes
have been operationalised, connecting 15 heliports across eight priority States, namely
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, and
Uttarakhand.
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 formulation
stage.
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