Parliament Question: Modified UDAN Scheme for North-Eastern States

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 703 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd July 2026 ) MODIFIED UDAN SCHEME FOR NORTH-EASTERN STATES 703. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the total number of routes sanctioned under UDAN Scheme for Assam and other North Eastern States across all phases along with the number of routes currently operational and the number of routes discontinued after the Viability Gap Funding period ended; (b) whether the Government has examined the CAG's finding that only 7-10 per cent of UDAN routes remained financially viable after the subsidy period, and if so, the details thereof along with the specific mechanism provided under the Modified UDAN Scheme 2026-2036 to prevent recurrence of such failures; (c) the amount earmarked specifically for North-Eastern routes, airport development and helipad connectivity out of the Rupees 28,840 crore allocated under the Modified UDAN Scheme; and (d) the action taken against airlines that surrendered North-Eastern routes before the end of their contracted subsidy period? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) Under the UDAN Scheme, a total of 90 routes have been operationalised across all phases for the North Eastern States, including Assam. Out of these, 38 routes are currently operational. Further, 28 routes in the North Eastern States have completed their three-year Viability Gap Funding (VGF) tenure and are presently non-operational.(b) More than 50% of the routes under UDAN are currently operational and more than 25% routes are operational commercially. Further, the next phase of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN has been launched on 04.07.2026. The modified scheme incorporates a tapered VGF mechanism extending up to five years, wherein financial support is for a longer time in a tapered manner to enable airlines to transition towards commercially sustainable operations. (c) Modified UDAN is being implemented from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36 with an outlay of Rs. 28,840 crores including Rs 12,159 crore for development of Aerodromes, Rs 10,043 crore for VGF to support airline operators, Rs 2577 crore for O&M support, Rs.3,661 crore for developing 200 heliports in the North Eastern Region, Himalayan and Islands States/UTs and Aspirational districts. The scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations, serve 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years, across the country including the North East. (d) Some UDAN routes were discontinued by airlines before completing 3 years tenure due to a variety of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft shortage, supply chain issues, aircraft maintenance, airport/runway maintenance, low passenger demand on some routes, etc. Further, routes that were discontinued in the past rounds are also rebid, awarded and operationalised in subsequent rounds. ******