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IRCTC and Pawan Hans Partner to Boost Heli-Tourism Across India

Newsmantra — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:02:20 +0000

NEW DELHI. In a strategic move to boost regional connectivity and helicopter tourism, Pawan Hans Limited and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 13, 2026, at the IRCTC Corporate Office in Delhi. The agreement, signed in the presence of Pawan Hans CMD Sh. Sunil Kumar Nagdawne, IRCTC CMD Sh. Sanjay Kumar Jain, and IRCTC Director of Tourism and Marketing Sh. Rahul Himalian, aims to integrate Pawan Hans’ premier helicopter services with IRCTC’s robust digital booking platform and extensive e-ticketing network. Under this collaboration, helicopter services operated under the government’s regional connectivity scheme, RCS UDAN, will become easily accessible to travelers directly through IRCTC’s website and mobile applications. By combining Pawan Hans’ aviation expertise with IRCTC’s established digital ecosystem, the partnership is designed to deliver a seamless user experience featuring simplified booking, smoother refund processing, and enhanced customer convenience, directly supporting the Government of India’s vision for regional tourism development.

Aviation Minister Reviews Bihar Infrastructure and Airport Expansion Projects

Newsmantra — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:23:56 +0000

PATNA. Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu conducted a comprehensive review of Bihar’s aviation infrastructure. Joined by Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Kumar Jha, MoCA Secretary Shri Samir Kumar Sinha, and senior officials, the minister evaluated ongoing airport expansion, infrastructure development works, and proposed Greenfield airport projects across the state. This rapid enhancement of air connectivity aims to unlock massive new avenues for trade, tourism, and business activities throughout Bihar.

Work on Gurugram Heliport to begin soon: Chautala

Newsmantra — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:18:40 +0000

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, said the work on the “Gurugram Heliport”, an ambitious project of the state government, will be started soon.

He said under the Central government’s regional connectivity scheme, “Udan”, air travel will be started from Hisar Airport to various major cities of the country. Chautala directed for exploring the possibilities of starting air flights from Hisar to Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gorakhpur, Jaipur, Amritsar, Kullu, Jammu and other cities.

Civil Aviation Launches Round 4 of RCS- UDAN

Newsmantra — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 07:11:12 +0000

Following the three successful rounds of bidding, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik( UDAN) to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. Focus of this round would be the priority areas like NER, Hilly States, J&K, Ladakh and Islands. Some of the key features of the Scheme are:

Revision of (Viability Gap Funding) VGF cap – The provision of VGF for Category 2 / 3 plane (more than 20 seater) has been enhanced for operation of RCS flights in Priority Area(s) (Union Territories [UT] of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir; the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, North Eastern State; UT of Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar).

The VGF cap applicable for various stage lengths for operation through group 1 / 1 A plane (below 20 seater) has also been revised to further incentivize the operation of small aircraft under the Scheme.

Promoting short-haul routes – The provision of VGF would be restricted for routes with stage length up to 600 kms, for operation of Category 2 / 3 aircraft, beyond it no monetary support would be provided. The table for provision of VGF for various stage lengths would be available for stage length up to 500 kms.

Well defined Prioritization framework – Airports that has already been developed by AAI would be given higher priority for award of VGF under the Scheme, followed by airports not part of the above list but located Priority Area(s) would be given a priority, followed by airports located in areas other than Priority Area(s).

Flexibility to change the frequency of flight operation – The Selected Airline Operator (SAO) would be allowed to change the frequency of flight operation, during the tenure of flight operation of the given route, provided that the total scheduled flight operation submitted as part of the Technical Proposal, is conformed and adhered to within a period of one year.

Inclusion of helicopter and sea plane operation under NSOP license – The operation of helicopter and sea plane would be allowed under this round.