Government Plans for Major Expansion with 350-400 Airports, UDAN Extension, and New Technologies Since its launch in 2016, the UDAN scheme has connected over 86 airports through more than 583 routes, facilitating travel for over 1.4 crore passengers.

Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, has unveiled plans to expand India's regional air connectivity. Speaking at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI's India Regional Air Mobility Conference 2024, Naidu envisioned the development of 350 to 400 airports over the next 20 to 25 years. "We are imagining India being at a place where it can operate 350 to 400 airports in the coming 20 to 25 years," he said.

Naidu also announced the government's intention to extend the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme for another decade beyond its current end date of 2027. "Our vision is to extend the RCS UDAN scheme for a further ten years," Naidu emphasized, focusing on affordable air travel for the common man.

According to Naidu, since its launch in 2016, the UDAN scheme has connected over 86 airports through more than 583 routes, facilitating travel for over 1.4 crore passengers.

Among other key developments, Naidu stressed the need for India to manufacture its own regional aircraft, signaling the country's ambition to participate in the global aviation market. He also proposed creating a hub-and-spoke model for Asia-Pacific interconnectivity, where larger airports would serve as hubs, linking to smaller regional airports. This model aims to improve travel efficiency while enhancing India's presence in the Asia-Pacific, which is expected to become the world's largest aviation market by 2035.

Looking ahead, Naidu highlighted emerging aviation technologies like Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, which could revolutionize urban air mobility in India's densely populated cities. "If not for longer regional routes, at least within the city, these can provide us with a very strong air mobility network," he said.