Parliament Question: Kushinagar International airport, Uttar Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 192 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd February 2026 KUSHINAGAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, UTTAR PRADESH 192. SHRI RATANJIT PRATAP NARAIN SINGH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the current status of international and domestic flight operations at Kushinagar International airport as on January, 2026; (b) the details of the incentives offered to airlines under the UDAN scheme to connect Kushinagar with major Buddhist circuit destinations like Gaya and Varanasi; (c) the status of the cargo terminal functionality to facilitate the export of local perishable goods like bananas and fruits from the district; and (d) Government's roadmap to ensure viable year-round connectivity for pilgrims visiting the Mahaparinirvana Temple? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a): At present, there are no scheduled commercial flight operations at Kushinagar International Airport. (b): To ensure the affordability of regional air travel, the UDAN scheme provides financial incentives to airline operators on regional routes that include: Concessions by the Central Government, State Governments/ Union Territories and airport operators to reduce airline operation costs and also the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to bridge the gap between operational costs and expected revenues on such routes. The airfare on the RCS seats on which VGF is provided to the Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) is for a 3-year tenure and is capped at a subsidized rate, which is liable to be indexed every quarter. The above measures aim to strengthen affordability, accessibility and overall passenger convenience in the aviation sector, thereby promoting regional development and economic growth. (c): At present, no dedicated air cargo operations are available at Kushinagar Airport. (d): Kushinagar airstrip is available in the tentative list of unserved airports in the UDAN scheme document. In case, any airline submits a bid for routes connecting to Kushinagar Airstrip in future rounds of bidding, the same will be considered as per the scheme provisions ******