The central government informed Parliament on Monday that 15 airports developed under the UDAN regional air connectivity scheme are currently non-operational due to multiple operational and commercial challenges, including low passenger demand, aircraft shortages, and weather-related issues.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, listed the airports that have temporarily halted flight operations:
Pathankot, Pakyong, Kushinagar, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Shravasti, Moradabad, Bhavnagar, Ambikapur, Rourkela, Ludhiana, Datia, Kalaburagi and Shimla.
Why These Airports Stopped Operations
According to the government, the reasons for temporary closure vary across locations. These include:
- Completion of the three-year Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support period
- Low passenger load factors, making routes commercially unviable
- Poor weather visibility at Visual Flight Rules (VFR) airports
- Daytime runway closures for maintenance
- Shortage of aircraft with regional airlines
- Leasing and contractual issues faced by operators
- Temporary discontinuation of flights by specific airlines
- Transfer (novation) of operational contracts to new operators
Despite the temporary shutdowns, the government emphasised that UDAN continues to boost regional air travel nationwide.
651 UDAN Routes Operationalised
Under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), the ministry highlighted that:
- 651 routes have been operationalised
- Connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports
- Including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes
This makes UDAN one of the largest regional connectivity initiatives in the world.
Many New Airports, But Few Flights
The minister also revealed that 11 new airports were inaugurated over the last five years in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. However, only four currently have scheduled flight operations.
Airports with Active Flights:
- Deoghar (Jharkhand)
- Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
- Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh)
- Purnea (Bihar)
Airports without Scheduled Flights:
- Kushinagar
- Aligarh
- Azamgarh
- Chitrakoot
- Moradabad
- Shravasti
- Sarsawa
- Deoghar
- Kanpur
- Ayodhya
- Purnea
(Except the four listed as operational)
The government did not specify when the suspended airports might resume flights but said operations may restart once airlines and operators find routes commercially viable.
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