Parliament Question: Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Scheme progress and Regional Connectivity

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 179 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd February 2026 UDE DESH KA AAM NAGRIK (UDAN) SCHEME PROGRESS AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY 179. SHRI SADANAND MHALU SHET TANAVADE SHRI AMAR PAL MAURYA SHRI NARAYANA KORAGAPPA Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the present status of the UDAN scheme, including number of routes operationalised, airports connected and passengers benefited since its inception; (b) the details of the modified UDAN scheme announced in Budget 2025-26 and its target for connecting new destinations over the next decade; (c) the specific measures being taken to enhance air connectivity to remote, hilly and North Eastern Regions under the revamped scheme; and (d) the Viability Gap Funding disbursed till date and the mechanism for monitoring route sustainability? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (c): As on 20.01.2026, a total of 657 routes have been operationalised, connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes carrying over 160 lakhs domestic passengers on more than 3.36 lakh RCS flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). 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 the approval stage. (d) : An amount of Rs. 4494 crores has been disbursed towards Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to support the Selected Airline Operators. To ensure the sustainability of the routes, 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 VGF to bridge the gap between operational costs and expected revenues on such routes. ******