Transportation
UDAN Scheme includes 5 Odisha Airports
Around 43 unserved Indian airports out of which five are from Odisha are expected to have flight operations from next month in a phased manner. The five airports from Odisha are Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Rourkela and Utkela (Kalahandi). Under the government’s ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik) scheme, AAI has received 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders for 190 routes. Under the UDAN scheme, fares have been capped at Rs 2,500 for a one-hour flight. The mission is to boost air connectivity to and from unserved and under-served airports and turn air transport affordable. Unserved airports are the one where there are no flight operations whereas the underserved airports have been categorised as the ones which have three or less flight per week. Under UDAN, Viability Gap Funding (VGF)would be provided. The VGF would be jointly funded by the Centre and the State government concerned. With respect to VGF, the government has started charging Rs 8,500 levy per departure of flights on major routes, though the charging of levy has been challenged by the airlines.
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