Modi govt's UDAN Scheme: Big transport boost! Delhi-NCR region to get another airport by Feb-end - Hindon

It's a major boost in terms of transport connectivity in Delhi-NCR region! According to aviation ministry sources, Hindon Airport will be ready by February end. Also, Hindon Airport will have flight operations from March 1st week. As of now, Hindon Airport is a Defence Airport. Noteworthy, Hindon Airport was awarded under PM Narendra Modi's ambitious UDAN scheme. The Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme is a subsidised low fare initiative to connect small cities and to help more people fly.

Earlier, it was reported that the central government has received bids for 111 routes from 15 airlines under the third round of auction for the UDAN scheme. There were 15 airlines that have bid total 111 initial proposals, which were then placed in the counter bidding. Among these 15 airlines, six airlines participated in counter bidding and these six airlines put in a total of 17 counter proposals. SpiceJet and IndiGo had bid for 37 routes and 20 routes in the third round of auctions. Ghodawat Enterprises Private Limited has bid for total 15 routes in this round.  The Centre did not include chopper routes under the third round of auctions.

Under the second phase of the UDAN scheme, the government last year had auctioned various routes in the Northeast and hilly districts as chopper routes.

The government, in its bid to make flying more affordable for the masses, had in 2016 announced the UDAN scheme wherein the fares were capped at Rs 2,500 for a one-hour journey for connecting smaller towns.  Following this, five airlines got the licence to operate on 128 routes in the first round of auctions in March 2017, and 15 airlines on 325 routes, including those having chopper operations, in the second round in January this year.