The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday launched UDAN 5.1 to further enhance the connectivity to remote areas of the country and achieve last mile connectivity through helicopters.
For the first time under RCS-UDAN, this round is designed specifically for helicopter routes.
"UDAN 5.1 allows operators operations in routes where one of the origin or destination locations is in a priority area. Earlier both points had to be in priority areas," the ministry said in a release.
Under the new scheme, airfare caps have been reduced by as much as 25% to make flying in helicopters more affordable for passengers, it said.
With Udan 5.1, the ministry has also substantially increased Viability Gap Funding (VGF) caps for the operators both single and twin-engine helicopters to enhance financial viability for operating the awarded routes.
“The latest round of UDAN scheme is a testament to two emerging phenomenon in Indian civil aviation - one, a deeper democratisation of air travel with a focus on last-mile connectivity. Second, a growing appetite for helicopters in aiding tourism. Greater helicopter penetration through such efforts will help boost tourism, hospitality, and thus, our local economies. UDAN 5.1 heralds a new dawn not just for civil aviation, but also for India’s remote & unserved regions.” said Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel.
24/05/2023 Economic Times
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