The Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday (December 4) highlighted the significant impact of the UDAN scheme in the Rajya Sabha. Scindia revealed that a staggering 1.30 lakh passengers, including those who had never envisioned air travel, have benefited from the program. The Civil Aviation Minister also asserted that the aviation sector is poised to become the ‘backbone’ of transportation in the country.
Responding to questions during the Question Hour, Scindia provided insights into the success of the UDAN scheme, citing that 2.75 lakh flights have operated in India as of today, thanks to the viability gap funding provided by the central government. He emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of passengers, especially the elderly, in response to any complaints of ill-treatment.
517 routes operational under UDAN
Addressing a query by independent member Kartikeya Sharma, Scindia shared that 517 routes are currently in operation under UDAN. He reassured the House that the safety and security of passengers remain a top priority, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) actively monitoring safety norms.
“Our airlines are also increasing their capacity and Air India has ordered 470 planes and Indigo 500 new planes and we want to create this sector as a backbone of transportation in the coming days,” he noted.
Setting up aviation as ‘backbone’ of transportation
He expressed the government’s vision to establish the aviation sector as the backbone of transportation in the days ahead. Responding to concerns about the non-functional Nanded airport in Maharashtra, Scindia explained that the airport, currently under private sector management, faced issues with unpaid fees and facilities being withdrawn.
“It is our government’s priority to make Nanded airport operational, but the problem is not with the ministry but with the airport, which has been handed over to a private sector entity by the state government. The private entity has not even reimbursed the airport authority fees and facilities had to be withdrawn.
“We feel that if the state government takes back the Nanded airport then we would be able to make it operational. I would urge the state government to take back the Nanded government under its ambit to help make it operational,” he noted.
Scindia maps out UDAN’s ambitious path
Moreover, he credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the success of the scheme and highlighted the transformation of the North-East region, with the addition of nine new airports, six of which are operational.
“It is only because of his vision that today 2.75 lakh flights have operated in India due to the viability gap funding that has been proposed and given by the central government for this scheme in particular,” Scindia said.
Looking ahead, Scindia outlined the ambitious target of achieving 1,000 routes under the UDAN scheme, with 515 routes currently operational. He expressed confidence that the number of continuing routes after three years would increase and projected that India would witness 42 crore air travelers by 2030.
Additionally, Minister Scindia addressed steps taken to mitigate flight disruptions during fog, reporting minimal cancellations and delays during the years 2020-21 and 2021-22.