Six Of Nine Airports In Maharashtra Operationalised Under UDAN Scheme; Solapur, Amravati And Ratnagiri Currently Under Development

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had identified nine airports in Maharashtra for the revival and operation of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) flights under the UDAN scheme, out of which six are now operational.

These include Kolhapur, Jalgaon, Nanded, Nasik, Gondia, and Sindhudurg, with development work underway at the remaining airports of Solapur, Amravati and Ratnagiri as per a report by The Hindu Businessline.

UDAN, a demand-driven scheme, allows airline operators to assess the feasibility of operating on specific routes and submit bids accordingly.

Airports included in the awarded routes of UDAN — that require upgrading or development for commencement of operations — are developed under the 'Revival of Unserved and Underserved Airports' scheme.

Currently, bidding is open for UDAN 5.2, aiming to enhance connectivity to remote and regional areas, achieve last-mile connectivity, and boost tourism through small aircraft (less than 20 seats).

This scheme offers greater operational flexibility to small aircraft operators, allowing them to operate up to 40 per cent of annually quoted RCS seats and a minimum of 10 per cent in any given quarter.

The unserved/underserved airstrips in Maharashtra, including Akola, Baramati, Chandrapur, Darna Camp, Deolali, Dhulia, Gondia, Jath, Karad, Kawalpur, Kudal, Latur (MADC), Lonavala Amby Valley, Osmanabad Phaltan, Ratnagiri, Shirpur, and Waluj, are available for bidding under the scheme.

Entrepreneur Ashok Jadhav has noted that the UDAN scheme in Maharashtra has optimised air transportation, bridged connectivity gaps, and stimulated economic growth across the state. Jadhav added that the scheme is also catering to the unique needs of small aircraft operators and promoting tourism.