The results of second round of bidding under regional connectivity flights UDAN scheme that seeks to connect unserved areas of the country were announced on Wednesday by the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Jet Airways and IndiGo have won rights to operate UDAN flights. Reportedly, IndiGo has won 20 and Jet Airways has bagged four routes. Pawan Hans will also operate helicopter services under UDAN scheme. The union minister informed that second bidding round of UDAN scheme will connect 43 airports and helipads in the government’s priority sector i.e. north east and the hill states. The states with maximum number of airports and helipads which will see activation under UDAN 2 scheme include Uttarakhand (15), Uttar Pradesh (9), Arunachal Pradesh (8) and Himachal Pradesh (6) and Assam and Manipur (5 each). The round two of regional connectivity scheme will connect 43 new airports and helipads and add 29 lakh seats annually. “We are going to witness tremendous momentum in subsequent rounds as well of UDAN, it is an innovative one-in-a-kind market mechanism which we have developed in India and it has brought in a revolution,” Civil Aviation Minister said.
“The government is transforming the aviation ecosystem, making it affordable and accessible to the common man,” said Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Interestingly, it’s the first time bids were received from the helicopter operators as well. Minister of State Jayant Sinha said 4-5 cities were seeing explosion in flights under Udan II. UDAN I and II will collectively expected to cost the government over Rs 800 crore each year. Civil Aviation Secretary RN Choubey said Kargil will be connected by airport for the first time and new greenfield airport in Kannur will get flights to 8 cities while Allahabad will be connected to 12 cities.
To provide a major boost to air connectivity in the Northeast, 92 new routes were opened in the region in the second round of the government’s ‘Udaan’ scheme in November last year. The government also announced a direct bi-weekly Air India flight from Delhi to Imphal from January 2018. No-frills private airlines Indigo also started services from Guwahati to Silchar and Aizwal. “The carrier is buying a large number of these seaplanes and is looking to operate in the Northeast, connecting smaller airstrips. These planes will accommodate about 9-10 people. This will also improve connectivity in the Northeast,” Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had said. Udaan is a regional connectivity scheme under which the government plans to provide connectivity to remote areas and enhance access in underserved regions. The second round of bidding commenced in August in 2017.
