The Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a modified UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, extending it for the next ten years to improve regional air connectivity across the country.
Inside the Announcement
According to an official press release from the Prime Minister of India, the central government has committed a total of 28,840 crore rupees to aviation infrastructure development across India.
Plans include the development of 100 new airports in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities that are underserved or unserved by commercial aviation. The government will also provide three years of financial support for maintenance of the airports built under the scheme.
Airlines operating under the scheme will receive subsidies during the initial phase of route launches to offset operational costs, allowing the required headroom to build a sustainable operation before the support structure is eventually withdrawn.
Where UDAN Stands Today
When UDAN was launched in October 2016, it was founded on a single idea: to increase air connectivity between developing cities and make flying affordable for ordinary travellers.
As of Feb. 28, 2026, 16.2 million passengers have flown across more than 300,000 flights, with over 663 routes operational across 95 airports nationwide under this scheme.
Beyond these figures, UDAN has catalysed a shift in India’s aviation ecosystem. The scheme has contributed to the growth of several regional carriers and diversified fleet operations across the industry, alongside emerging efforts to build a domestic aircraft ecosystem.
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