Definition
UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) is India’s regional airport development and regional connectivity scheme aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread.
Exam-ready points
- The core objective is to connect unserved and underserved airports across the country.
- It uses a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) model to support airlines on regional routes.
- Airfare caps are applied to a portion of seats for flights of roughly 500 km or one hour.
- For revision, link UDAN with regional economic growth, tourism corridors, and infrastructure connectivity.
- Current updates focus on route rationalisation, heliports, and extending connectivity to remote and aspirational districts.
Common mistakes
- Do not think UDAN only covers major metro routes.
- Do not forget the role of state governments in providing concessions like lower VAT on jet fuel.
- Do not confuse route awards with long-term commercial viability without support.
Difficulty
Foundation
Revision time
About 10 minutes
Self-check questions
- What is the main policy objective of the UDAN scheme?
- How does Viability Gap Funding (VGF) make regional routes viable?
- Why are state-level concessions important for UDAN operations?
Source metadata
Authority: Press Information Bureau / Ministry of Civil Aviation
Official source: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285671&lang=1®=3