Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN)/Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) is a Regional Airport Development and “Regional Connectivity Scheme” (RCS) of Government of India, with the objective of “letting the common citizen of the country fly”, aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread, to boost inclusive national economic development, job growth and air transport infrastructure development of all regions and states of India.

• Need: India is the world’s third-largest market in the aviation sector. As per a study by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 65 per cent air connectivity and 61per cent traffic is focused only in the six metros. Thus, there is an urgent need to reduce these regional disparities.

Performance

• Approximately 86.05 lakhs passengers have travelled on UDAN flights since its commencement till 09.01.2022.
• UDAN has transformed the way people travel in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Regional airports like Jharsuguda, Kishangarh, Belgaum, Darbhanga, etc. have been witnessing exponential growth in air traffic.
• UDAN scheme has sparked significant increase in helicopter services in hilly areas and islands through use of heliports.
• The linkage between the Civil Aviation Sector and Economic Growth is well recognized. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) study shows that the air connectivity has an economic multiplier of 3.1 and employment multiplier of 6.1.