UDAN Objectives (Regional Connectivity Scheme)

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'Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik' is the meaning of the acronym UDAN.

A regional connectivity initiative called Udan Yojana (UDAN Scheme in Hindi) connects rural sections of the nation with affordable aviation service. UDAN 4.0 adds 78 additional low-cost flying routes.

Routes between 200 and 800 km will be eligible for the Regional Connectivity Program. For hilly, isolated, island, or security-sensitive areas, no lower limit has been imposed.

With a maximum of 25% for balanced regional growth, the allotment will be fairly allocated across the five zones of North, West, South, East, and North East.

Updates on the UDAN Scheme and the flight plan

Since the Prime Minister launched its maiden flight on April 27, 2017, the Ministry of Civil Aviation's flagship program, the regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), has been a success for five years.

The program was introduced on October 21st, 2016, with the goal of achieving UdeDeshka Aam Nagrik's vision of 'UdeDeshka Aam Nagrik' with sophisticated aviation infrastructure and air connection to Tier II and Tier III cities.

The Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in the 2020 calendar year went to RCS-UDAN in the Innovation category.

The country's regional aviation connectivity has considerably improved thanks to UDAN over the past five years. In 2014, there were 74 active airports. Now, the UDAN program has caused this number to rise to 141.

What is the UDAN program? What does UDAN stand for?

Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik is the name of the centrally supported program known as UDAN Scheme in Hindi. It intends to lower the cost of air travel for the general people to Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

Value added tax (VAT) excise duty of 2% and service tax of 10% will be levied centrally in addition to liberal code sharing for airports under the regional connectivity plan.

To pay for the plan through specific flights, a Regional Connectivity Fund will be established.

The VGF will be decreased and then phased out after three years if the passenger load factor stays high, according to the government, when the route becomes self-sustaining.

UDAN Scheme Objectives & UDAN Scheme Objectives

The primary objective of the UDAN program is to increase the accessibility and affordability of air travel.

The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) includes the UDAN Scheme.

The State Governments and the Government of India work together to support the UDAN program.

The UDAN program has also made it quite economical to travel to rural cities.

What guidelines apply to the UDAN scheme?

Favorable Airports

By revitalizing existing airstrips and airports, Project UDAN intends to connect the nation's under- and unserved airports.

The initiative will cover 410 airports and airstrips, of which 394 are "unused" and 16 are "disabled," in two categories.

Implementing Agency: The Ministry of Civil Aviation's Airports Authority of India (AAI) is in charge of carrying out the plan's execution.

Stages of Bidding: By the end of 2018, the first three distinct phases of the order award's bidding process will be finished.

Route Length Optimization: The system will be used for routes 200 to 800 km long, with no logical limitations for hilly, rural, island, or security-sensitive areas.

Funding: By taxing specific flights, a Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) will be created to pay for the program.

The states are expected to contribute 20% to the fund. Union Territories and North Eastern States will each contribute 10% to the fund.

Flight Fee: Rs. 2500 is required to fly at a speed of roughly 500 km/h.

For helicopter operations, rates of 2,500 have been set for the first time for a 30-minute flight.

Equal Allocation: With a maximum of 25% for balanced regional development, the allocation will be allocated equally across the five zones of North, West, South, East, and North East.

Routes under this program won't be offered at large airports like Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune.

Investment funds: By 2019–20, AAI intends to spend Rs 17,500 crore upgrading airport infrastructure.

'Seats and Departures' Flight Number

A minimum of 5 and a maximum of 13 seats have been set aside for helicopter operations under the plan.

There will be three flights per week, with a maximum of seven departures, on each of these routes.

Important Features of UDAN Scheme | UDAN Scheme Features

A ten-year project, this is. The strategy is a component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), which was unveiled on June 15, 2016.

A competitive bidding method is used in the plan to choose the participating airlines in the UDAN system.

The program aims to promote regional aviation by incentivizing local carriers to fly more flights in remote areas.

The state government has extended a number of policies for a ten-year term, including a 1% reduction in the GST to allow refueling stations, coordination with the oil industry, and the supply of land for airport and ancillary development. Utilities and personnel are paid for at a discounted cost.

On AAI UDAN-RCS flights, route navigation and facility charges (RNFC) will be assessed at a discounted rate of 42.40 percent of the standard rates.

The selected airline operator will receive financial support from the Regional Connectivity Fund, known as Viability Gap Funding (VGF), in exchange for operating RCS flight(s) under this program.

The government wants to make the UDAN program more accessible, thus it has set the fees at Rs 2,500 per seat, each hour.

Udaan Yojana: Importance and Meaning: UDAN

Passengers can travel to and from outlying airports including Hubli and Baldota in Karnataka, Burnpur in West Bengal, Darbhanga in Bihar, Hisar in Haryana, and others thanks to the Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik initiative (UDAN).

The UDAN plan benefits India's aviation industry by enabling small and new operators to take part in the quickly increasing passenger traffic.

For the exclusive right to fly the regional routes made possible by the plan, airlines must compete.

The economy of rural areas that are included on the new aviation map of the country is also anticipated to benefit from the strong regional connection.

The plan's goal is to solve the problem of virtual airports while at the same time reducing travel expenses.

Viability Gap Grant (VGF) is a program that encourages airlines to launch new routes to underserved smaller cities and villages by making their operations profitable.

UDAN Scheme Updated Version | UDAN Scheme Updated Versions

UDAN 1.0 In this stage, 128 flight routes to 70 airports, including 36 newly opened airports, were distributed to 5 airlines.

UDAN 2.0 In 2018, the Ministry of Civil Aviation identified 73 airports that were both unreserved and compliant. Phase 2 of the UDAN proposal also included the initial addition of the helipad.

UDAN 3.0 In conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, UDAN 3.0 will now provide routes for tourism. In order to connect the water airports, seaplanes will be used. Several routes in the North Eastern region will be connected under the UDAN plan.

UDAN 4.0 In 2020, 78 new routes were approved as part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), which aims to increase connectivity in the nation's rural and distant areas.

Flight 4.1 Flight 4.1 focuses on linking smaller airports as well as specific connections for helicopters and seaplanes. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is working on a sizable project called Sagarmala Seaplane Services with possible airline operators.

International UDAN Scheme: International Flight Planning

The International Air Connectivity Scheme (IACS) scheme (Antarashtriya Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)) was introduced by the Ministry of Civil Aviation with the goal of enhancing air connectivity between specific domestic destinations and foreign locations in order to support socioeconomic growth.

The state governments fund this program. The state governments of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura have identified routes connecting Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Yangon, Mandalay, Kunming, and Chittagong with Guwahati, Imphal, and Agartala.

The following initiatives have been done by the Airports Authority of India to promote international connectivity to/from the North Eastern Region

The new terminal building at the airport in Agartala was planned as an integrated terminal with future demands for international operations in mind.

At Imphal Airport, which has been designated as an international airport, a new integrated terminal building for 2.4 million passengers per year (MPPA) has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. been completed

What are the UDAN program's obstacles? Problems with the UDAN Program

The UDAN Yojana, or UDAN Yojana in Hindi, has experienced numerous implementation-related difficulties since its inception. The readiness of heliports, seaports, and airports has become a top priority. Here are some of the biggest obstacles:

Basic infrastructure

The State Government or Union Territories are expected to offer additional land free of charge and without any restrictions in order to build or upgrade some RCS airports.

In this case, since the state does not already own the land, it must purchase it, which takes time. Inaccessible terrain also exists in many rural regions that will be included in the UDAN program but have not yet had access to air service.

Some airports are unable to handle regional flights due to inadequate runway length.

Traffic Route

As of November 2021, only 22 of the 94 RCS UDAN lines that have served for three years are still in operation.

The availability of airline slots at various metro and tier-1 airports is a significant source of worry.

Capacity

Due to their high levels of congestion, India's metro airports are already battling issues with parking and landing space.

Additionally, these airports see a yearly increase in passenger volume of between 18 and 20 percent. Existing airlines have placed orders for improved planes that, if delivered in the next three years, will virtually triple their current plane capacity. The air capacity of India's major cities will grow as a result.

Season

Inclement weather makes it challenging for airplanes to fly when airports are situated in steep places.

Additionally, the absence of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) has forced flight cancellations, and a normal flow of traffic is challenging due to the frequent cancellations.

In order for India's planned investments in regional aviation to be successful, a strategic assessment and retargeting are necessary.

In order to make these locations' airports operationally feasible for 70- to 80-seater aircraft, it is crucial to develop them.

The government should also make sure that adjacent watersheds can access these airports. It is necessary to lower fuel taxes, as the sector has long argued for this.