**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1956, answered on December 11th, 2025, regarding the modified UDAN Scheme. It details the scheme's progress in enhancing regional connectivity by adding destinations, the budget allocation and utilization, the status of airports, and the routes awarded. The scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations and cater to 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Modified UDAN Scheme:**
* Aims to increase regional connectivity to 120 new destinations across India.
* Targets to cater to 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years.
* Currently at the approval stage.
* **Airport Development/Revival & Budget:**
* Rs. 4500 crore allocated in Phase I and Rs. 1000 crore in Phase II for revival/development of airports.
* Rs. 4639 Crore has been incurred for revival/development of airports identified under RCS-UDAN as of 31.10.2025.
* Details of airport expenditure by State are provided in Annexure-A.
* **Viability Gap Funding (VGF):**
* VGF is provided to airline operators from RCS levy collected under the RCS Scheme.
* Year-wise details of VGF disbursed to airlines are at Annexure-B.
* **Non-Operational Airports:**
* Fourteen airports are currently non-operational under the UDAN Scheme.
* Reasons include completion of concession period, poor visibility, runway restrictions, aircraft shortage, leasing issues, and low passenger load factors.
* State-wise details of non-operational airports and reasons are at Annexure-C.
* **Routes Awarded:**
* The total number of valid RCS routes awarded and the number of routes presently operational, State-wise including Bihar, are at Annexure-D.
**Impact Analysis**
**Airlines**
* **Impact:** Airlines are provided with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to support their operations on RCS routes. The scheme encourages airlines to serve regional routes.
* **Action Required:** Airlines should review the details of VGF disbursed to them (Annexure-B) and prepare for operations on newly developed routes.
**Airport Operators**
* **Impact:** Airport operators stand to benefit from the increased traffic and development/revival activities supported by the UDAN scheme.
* **Action Required:** Airport Operators should note the details for expenditure towards airport revival and development at Annexure-A.
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** State governments are key stakeholders in the development and operation of airports under the UDAN scheme, influencing regional connectivity.
* **Action Required:** State governments should assess the operational status of airports in their respective states (Annexure-C) and take steps to address issues leading to non-operational status.
**Passengers**
* **Impact:** Passengers will benefit from increased connectivity to new destinations, potentially reduced fares, and improved access to regional areas.
* **Action Required:** Passengers will benefit from increased connectivity to new destinations, potentially reduced fares, and improved access to regional areas.
Key Entities Referenced
UDAN Scheme: A regional airport development and regional connectivity scheme.
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to civil aviation.
Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Funding provided to airline operators from the RCS levy collected under the RCS scheme to support UDAN operations.
Bihar: A state in India, specifically mentioned for operational UDAN routes.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1956
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11th December 2025 )
MODIFIED UDAN SCHEME
1956. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL
ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH
SHRI TANUJ PUNIA
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government has proposed a modified UDAN Scheme to add more destinations
for regional connectivity and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of airports developed/revived under the UDAN scheme along with the cost
incurred since its inception, State-wise;
(c) the details of budget allocated and utilised under UDAN scheme along with the subsidy
provided to the airlines for operations since its inception, year-wise;
(d) whether a number of these airports are non-operational or closed presently and if so, the
details thereof, State-wise along with the reasons therefor; and
(e) the total number of routes awarded under the said scheme so far and the number of routes
presently operational, State-wise including Bihar?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a): 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 is currently at the approval stage.
(b): The details of airports developed/revived under the UDAN scheme along with the cost
incurred since its inception, State-wise is at Annexure-A.
(c): Under the 'Revival and development of un-served and under-served
airports/heliports/water aerodromes' scheme, an amount of Rs. 4500 crore in the Phase I and
an amount of Rs.1000 Crores in Phase II of the Scheme has been allocated. Rs. 4639 Crore has
been incurred for revival/development of airports identified under RCS-UDAN, as on
31.10.2025. ;
The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided to the airline operators from the RCS levy
collected under the RCS Scheme. The year-wise details of VGF disbursed to Selected Airline
Operators are provided at Annexure-B.
(d): As on date, fourteen Airports are non-operational under the UDAN Scheme due to factors
such as completion of the three-year concession period, poor visibility conditions, daytime
runway restrictions at VFR only airports, shortage of aircraft, leasing issues, temporarydiscontinuation by airlines, novation of routes, and low passenger load factors. The details of
non-operational airports, state wise along with reasons is at Annexure-C.
(e): The total number of valid RCS routes awarded and the number of routes presently
operational, State-wise including Bihar, are at Annexure-D.
******ANNEXURE-A
Airports developed/revived under UDAN scheme along with cost incurred (Rs. in Crore)
Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
1. Kadapa 99.36
Andhra
Pradesh
2. Kurnool 0.03
3. Hollongi -
Arunachal
4. Tezu 89.65
Pradesh
5. Passighat 0.07
6. Jorhat 0.03
7. Assam Lilabari 9.47
8. Rupsi 88.79
9. Tezpur 0.19
10. Darbhunga 127.82
Bihar
11. Purnea 40.00
12. Bilaspur 65.22
Chhattisgarh
13. Jagdalpur 60.16
14. Ambikapur 80.14Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
15. Daman & Diu Diu 28.98
16. Bhavnagar 69.18
17. Jamnagar 24.16
18. Kandla 28.12
19. Gujarat Keshod 32.71
20. Mundra 0.31
21. Porbandar 36.51
22. Sabarmati River Front(W) 21.61
23. Statue of Unity (W) 12.92
24. Haryana Hissar 29.21
25. Kullu 37.29
Himachal
Pradesh
26. Shimla 116.70
27. Mandi(H) 8.76
28. Rampur(H) 4.84
29. Jamshedpur -
Jharkhand
30. Deoghar 5.19
31. Belgaum 20.88
Karnataka
32. Bidar 12.29
33. Hubli 37.69Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
34. Kalaburgi 28.64
35. Mysore 41.40
36. Shivamogga -
37. Vidyanagar 5.99
38. Kerala Kannur -
39. Lakshadweep Agatti -
40. Gwalior 8.15
Madhya
Pradesh
41. Rewa 102.10
42. Datia 63.10
43. Gondia 47.21
44. Jalgaon 28.55
Maharashtra
45. Kolhapur 333.29Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
46. Nanded 0.20
47. Ozar (Nasik) 11.19
48. Sindhudurg -
49. Amravati 148.53
50. Jiribam(H) 12.28
Manipur
51. Tamenglong(H) 1.60
52. Meghalaya Shillong (Barapani) 60.76
53. Nagaland Dimapur 4.89
54. Jeypore 59.13
55. Odisha Jharsuguda 183.67
56. Rourkela 58.96
57. Utkela 56.03
Pondicherry
58. Pondicherry 31.98
(U.T.)
59. Punjab Adampur 125.60Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
60. Bhatinda 3.04
61. Ludhiana 12.80
62. Pathankot 5.18
63. Bikaner (Nal) 15.98
64. Jaisalmer 10.34
Rajasthan
65. Kishangarh 29.78
66. Sikkim Pakyong 178.75
67. Tamil Nadu Salem 24.44
68. Agra 7.68
69. Aligarh 31.94
70. Azamgarh 29.57
71. Bareilly 104.14
72. Chitrakoot 32.79
Uttar Pradesh
73. Hindon 46.60Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025
74. Kanpur (chakeri) 134.79
75. Kushinagar/ Kasia 108.22
76. Prayagraj / Allahabad 161.43
77. Shravasti 32.84
78. Moradabad 30.41
79. Pantnagar 29.14
80. Pithoragarh 9.36
81. Almora(H) 5.38
82. Champawat (H) 0.06
83. Chinyali Saur (H) 2.75
84. Gaucher (H) 8.20
Uttarakhand
85. Haldwani(H) 3.27
86. Munsyari, Pithoragarh (H) -
87. New Tehri(H) 3.95
88. Sahastradhara(H) 21.61
89. Srinagar(H) 6.51
90. Nainital (H) 1.02
91. Bageshwar (H) 0.06
92. Cooch behar 11.00
West Bengal
93. Durgapur(Andal) 3.11Airport / Heliports / Water Total Expenditure till
S.NO State
Aerodromes 31.10.2025ANNEXURE-B
VGF Disbursed to Airlines (Rs. in crores) updated as on 30.11.2025
2017- 2018- 2019- 2020- 2021- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025-
Total
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
42.35 138.08 681.28 325.60 625.94 798.34 807.02 628.42 349.51 4,396.54ANNEXURE-C
Details of 14 Non-Operational Airports developed under RCS
S.N. State Airport Remarks
1. Chhattisgarh Ambikapur FlyBig assigned and novated its contractual rights and
obligations under RCS to Skyhop for operating these flights. The
airline is expected to commence operations on these routes,
subject to obtaining the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and
acquiring the intended aircraft.
2. Gujarat Bhavnagar Completion of VGF tenure.
Eligible for re-bidding under UDAN.
3. Himachal Shimla Due to grounding and shortage of aircraft.
Pradesh Alliance Air may re-commence flight operations on the route
Shimla-Amritsar-Shimla on aircraft availability.
4. Kalaburgi Completion of VGF tenure.
Karnataka
Eligible for re-bidding under UDAN.
5. Datia FlyBig assigned and novated its contractual rights and
obligations under RCS to Skyhop for operating these
Madhya Pradesh flights. The airline is expected to commence operations on
these routes, subject to obtaining the Air Operator
Certificate (AOC) and acquiring the intended aircraft.
6. Ludhiana FlyBig assigned and novated its contractual rights and
obligations under RCS to Skyhop for operating these flights.
The airline is expected to commence operations on these
routes from Halwara Airport instead of Ludhiana, subject
to obtaining the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and
Punjab
acquiring the intended aircraft.
7. Pathankot Under UDAN 5.4, Letter of Intent has been issued for Pathankot–
Delhi–Pathankot route with 80-seater aircraft to the new entrant
airline, JettWings.
8. Sikkim Pakyong Due to terrain and Weather Challenges
9. Kushinagar Shortage of relevant aircraft type with operator.
Key requirement of IFR upgradation.
10. Aligarh
11. Azamgarh
12. Chitrakoot
FlyBig assigned and novated its contractual rights and
Uttar Pradesh
obligations under RCS to Skyhop for operating these flights. The
airline is expected to commence operations on these routes,
subject to obtaining the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and
13. Shravasti acquiring the intended aircraft.
14. Moradabad
# Routes yet to be operationalized.ANNEXURE-D
Details of routes Awarded, Operationalised and currently operational under RCS-UDAN
No. of
No. of No. of routes
Operationalised
Sr. No. State Awarded presently
Routes
Routes operational
0
1 6 0
Andaman & Nicobar Island
18
2 19 9
Andhra Pradesh
10
3 16 5
Arunachal Pradesh
36
4 59 15
Assam
10
5 12 6
Bihar
3
6 6 2
Chandigarh
13
7 14 4
Chahattisgarh
5
8 11 4
Daman & Diu (UT)
19
9 22 9
Delhi (UT)
7
10 11 4
Goa
44
11 57 18
Gujarat
3
12 4 1
Haryana
23
13 47 4
Himachal Pradesh
2
14 4 0
Jammu & Kashmir
5
15 12 2
Jharkhand
66
16 71 33
Karnataka
12
17 15 8
Kerala
0
18 0 0
Ladakh (UT)
1
19 18 1
Lakshdweep
27
20 28 5
Madhya Pradesh
65
21 75 43
Maharashtra
13
22 24 9
Manipur
9
23 11 3
Meghalaya
2
24 11 0
Mizoram
4
25 17 2
Nagaland18
26 23 14
Odisha
1
27 1 1
Pudducherry (UT)
17
28 21 5
Punjab
31
29 37 13
Rajasthan
3
30 6 0
Sikkim
14
31 24 11
Tamil Nadu
29
32 30 23
Telangana
3
33 7 1
Tripura
57
34 96 11
Uttar Pradesh
60
35 81 21
Uttarakhand
21
36 27 15
West Bengal