479 RCS-UDAN routes are operational connecting 74 airports, including two water aerodromes and nine heliports

As of June 30, 2023, the Regional Air Connectivity Fund Trust (RACFT) has released Viability Gap Funding (VGF) amounting to US$ 333 million (Rs. 2,729.11 crore) to the selected airline operators for the operation of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme.

479 routes are in operation, connecting 74 airports, including two water aerodromes, and nine heliports, based on the four rounds of bidding under UDAN. The Scheme has benefitted around 123 lakh passengers.

The civil aviation sector is expected to grow significantly in the next five years. The areas of growth include the operationalisation of 21 Greenfield airports (out of which 11 have already been operationalised), the addition of more than 900 to domestic airlines’ fleets, and the target of operationalising 1,000 UDAN routes. Furthermore, as per some projections, there may be a need for 1,000 pilots per annum in the country in the next five years, for which the Airports Authority of India has liberalised the Flying Training Organisation policy.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.