Insta
Second Phase Of UDAN To Connect Over 100 More Towns, To Include Helicopter Services As Well
Swarajya Staff
Jan 25, 2018, 12:32 PM | Updated 12:32 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The second phase of the Centre’s ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) will see a total of 109 new airports being connected with commercial aviation services, including helicopter services, reports The Hindu Business Line.
Among the towns and cities being included are Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir, Hubbali in Karnataka, Jalgaon and Nashik in Maharashtra while key airports in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand will be linked with helicopter services, a first under UDAN.
The Centre has also offered a viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs 213 crore for the second phase. It had allocated Rs 620 crore in the last phase. VGF will be offered to operators who operate flights with half the seats priced at Rs 2,500 per hour, capped at 40 seats per plane.
Funds will be raised by levying a fee of Rs 5,000 on a flight that uses Airbus A-320 aircraft, according to R N Choubey, Secretary, Civil Aviation.
In a sharp contrast to the previous round, several airlines have expressed interest in operating services under UDAN without a VGF grant from the government. According to officials, IndiGo and SpiceJet had put up at least 20 such proposals.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that UDAN was showing the desired results and that the scheme could soon become self-sustaining.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.