New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday said it has signed 21 agreements with states and union territories under the next phase of the UDAN scheme to strengthen regional air connectivity.
The memorandums of understanding (MoUs) mark a significant milestone in centre-state/UT cooperation to develop aviation infrastructure and expand air connectivity to underserved and unserved regions.
A total of 21 MoUs were signed between the Ministry of Civil Aviation, participating states/UTs and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme.
The agreements establish a structured framework for coordinated action between the Centre, states/UTs and AAI to identify, develop and operationalise aviation assets, aligned with the connectivity requirements and priorities of states and Union Territories.
“With these MoUs, Team Bharat is joining hands to take India’s regional aviation to greater heights. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Viksit Rajya is the foundation of Viksit Bharat, with every state as an equal partner in this journey,” Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said at the MoUs signing event.
The minister informed that since its launch, UDAN has operationalised 687 routes and 95 aerodromes, with more than 3.66 lakh flights carrying around 1.71 crore passengers.
He said aviation-sector jobs have grown from around 3 million in 2014 to nearly 7.7 million today, with the potential to reach 25 million by 2040.
Airports like Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh and Purnea in Bihar, once cut off from air connectivity by hundreds of kilometres, are today becoming drivers of regional prosperity, he added.
The launch of the next phase of UDAN builds on the inauguration by the Prime Minister in Jodhpur on July 4, 2026, and the UDAN Workshop held in July, which brought together civil aviation stakeholders to deliberate on the roadmap for the next phase of the scheme.
“Modified UDAN rests on four pillars: affordability for passengers, sustainability of operations, a transparent Challenge Mode framework for projects and the promotion of indigenous manufacturing. Together, we are building an ecosystem towards the larger ambition of Made in India Civil aircraft. That is the direction in which this next phase of UDAN is taking us,” Naidu said.
With the launch, the ministry said, the next phase of UDAN moves from policy and stakeholder consultations towards on-ground implementation, with a three-pronged focus on strengthening centre-state/UT partnerships, creating aviation infrastructure and expanding regional air connectivity.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said UDAN has come a long way since 2016, expanding regional and remote connectivity across the country.
“Now, with Modified UDAN, we are looking at 120 new destinations and 4 crore more passengers over the next ten years. With more than 20 states coming together, we are taking this journey forward and opening a new chapter in India’s civil aviation sector,” he said.
Naidu also launched the Challenge Mode portal for aerodrome development and released the scheme document for the next phase of UDAN route bidding.
Under Challenge Mode, state governments and UT administrations will now be able to nominate airstrips and helipads for development under the next phase of UDAN through the dedicated portal.
This will enable states/UTs to proactively identify locations with potential for aviation connectivity and facilitate the creation and upgradation of aviation infrastructure based on local requirements, the ministry said.
The next phase of UDAN seeks to build on the gains achieved under the scheme and further deepen the aviation ecosystem across the country, ensuring the benefits of air connectivity and aviation infrastructure reach more regions, communities and citizens. PTI NKD NKD BAL
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(PTI News)
