UDAN will jump-start regional aviation: Govt.

TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi-The government today said its ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN, set to take wings tomorrow, will jump-start regional aviation even as it defended the imposition of levy on scheduled flights from trunk routes to fund the scheme. The government had on July 1 unveiled the draft scheme which fixed all-inclusive fares at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights in its attempt to make flying affordable for the common man.

The final guidelines under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) which has been named as UDAN (Udey Desh ka Aam Nagrik) are set to be announced tomorrow by the Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The scheme seeks to provide air services between unserved and under-served areas as well as extending viability gap funding (VGF) through a regional connectivity fund.

There are 394 unserved and 16 under-served airports. “We are very hopeful of a positive response from the industry but our thinking is that with the scheme, we will in fact be jump-starting regional aviation,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on the sidelines of an aviation event here.