UDAN Marks 9 Years of Regional Connectivity

• 22 Oct 2025

On 21st October 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation celebrated the 9th anniversary of the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), highlighting its transformative impact on air travel across India.

• The UDAN scheme, launched on 21st October 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy, has been instrumental in making air travel affordable and accessible to the common citizen, revolutionizing regional aviation connectivity.
• The first UDAN flight, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27th April 2017 between Shimla and Delhi, marked the beginning of a new era in connecting unserved and underserved airports in India.
• Since its inception, a total of 649 routes have been operationalized under UDAN, linking 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes, thereby enhancing connectivity to remote regions.
• The scheme has facilitated the transportation of over 1.56 crore passengers through 3.23 lakh UDAN flights, demonstrating its widespread adoption and effectiveness in bridging regional aviation gaps.