Three new airports, developed under India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN, were inaugurated today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The airports, located in Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), and Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), are part of the government’s efforts to improve connectivity in underserved regions. Commercial flights from these airports are expected to begin soon.
The RCS-UDAN scheme, launched in 2016, aims to enhance connectivity to remote and underserved areas of the country. Since its inception, the program has facilitated travel for over 14.4 million passengers. Several rounds of bidding have taken place under the scheme, with UDAN 5.0 and later versions targeting further expansion of air routes and improving regional air access.
Under UDAN 5.0, the scheme now prioritizes larger aircraft and has removed the previous distance cap of 600 km between routes. Airlines are required to commence operations within four months of being awarded a route. The subsequent UDAN 5.1 round focuses on helicopter routes, providing increased financial support to operators and reducing airfare caps to improve affordability.
The initiative has significantly boosted air connectivity across India, with 86 aerodromes now operationalized, including 10 in the Northeast region.
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