The government has informed the Rajya Sabha that 609 routes connecting 86 unserved and underserved airports have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Ramamohan Naidu stated that these routes include 13 heliports and two waterdromes. He noted that over 14.6 million domestic passengers have traveled on 286,000 flights operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.
Of the 21 greenfield airports that received in-principle approval, 12 have been established and are operational.
The airports located in Navi Mumbai, Vijayapura, Noida, Hassan, Dholera, and Bhogapuram are expected to be completed within the next two years. The Minister highlighted that airports have become central to economic activities, creating a multiplier effect on the economy.
