Government Initiatives

Some major initiatives undertaken by the Government are:

• In the Union Budget 2023-24:
  • Rs. 3,224.67 crores (US$ 440.36 million) has been allocated to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  • Government to revive 50 aircraft landing sites comprising airports, heliports, water aerodromes, and advanced landing grounds to improve regional air connectivity.
  • In the budget 2022-23, the RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) UDAN scheme which aims to stimulate regional air connectivity has been allocated Rs. 601 crores (US$ 77.52 million).
  • For better execution of the PM-Gati Shakti vision, Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation asks for synergy between the Central and State Governments to build 16 new airports in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
• NABH (NextGen Airports for Bharat) - Nirman is a government initiative to expand airport capacity more than five times to handle billions of trips a year, in the next 10-15 years.
• AAI Startup Policy: Delivering a framework & mechanism for the interaction of AAI with internal and external stakeholders that catalyze innovation at airports and leveraging technology for addressing challenges and enhancing the delivery of services to passengers.
• Under four rounds of bidding of RCS-UDAN, as of November 2022, 459 routes have commenced, operationalizing 70 airports including 2 water aerodromes & 9 heliports.
• Union Minister for Civil Aviation Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia launches Digi Yatra for three airports in the country.
• Civil enclave to be built in Jammu at a cost of Rs. 861 crores.
• In October 2022, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the C-295 Aircraft Manufacturing Facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) announced that airlines can operate domestic flights without any capacity restriction, effective from October 18, 2021.
• In October 2021, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, virtually flagged off the first direct flight along the Shillong–Dibrugarh route, under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.
• Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the Krishi UDAN 2.0 scheme in October 2021. The scheme proposes assistance and incentive for the movement of agri-produce by air transportation. The Krishi UDAN 2.0 will be implemented at 53 airports across the country, largely focusing on Northeast and tribal regions, and is expected to benefit farmers, freight forwarders, and airlines.
• On October 20, 2021, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The international airport is likely to facilitate the air travel requirements of international Buddhist pilgrims in India.
• In August 2021, the government plans to implement a biometric boarding system using facial technology in six airports, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune. The project is currently in the testing phase.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is hopeful that aspiring commercial pilots will soon be able to get trained in India without having to leave the country. In this regard, the government in July 2021 announced setting up eight new flying academies across the following five airports: Belagavi and Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Jalgaon in Maharashtra, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, and Lilabari in Assam.
• The government is planning to start 14 more water aerodromes across the country, after the successful launch of seaplane service by Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarat's Narmada district and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad in October 2020.