New Delhi: Sixteen airports constructed under the central government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) are lying unused, of the 74 operationalised under the scheme.
The highest number of such unused airports is in Gujarat and Punjab, four each, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha Thursday.
“Operationalisation of an airport depends upon air passenger demand forecast, demand from airlines, financial and operational viability, as well as other facilities with reference to intended aircraft operations,” he said.
Singh added that airlines plan their flight schedule on a specific route/city based on market demand, commercial feasibility and their company policy, over which the aviation ministry has no jurisdiction.
He was replying to a query on the number of airports functional and the number lying unused under RCS-UDAN.
According to the data shared in Parliament, 74 airports, including 19 underserved and 55 unserved, are currently operational under the scheme.
Of the unused airports, four are in Gujarat (Porbandar, Mundra, Sabarmati River Front (W) and Statue of Unity (W)); four in Punjab (Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda and Pathankot); three in Maharashtra (Jalgaon, Nanded and Gondia); two in Uttarakhand (Pithoragarh and Almora (H)); and one each in Haryana (Hissar), Tamil Nadu (Salem) and Uttar Pradesh (Hindon).
Replying to a question on operations by private airlines from the airports, Singh said the request of airlines for operating flight services from airports is accommodated within the available watch hours and airport capacity.
“With the repeal of the Air Corporations Act in March 1994, the Indian domestic aviation market has been deregulated. Consequently, airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type for whatever market and network they wish to operate across the country. Thus, it is up to the airlines to provide air services to specific places depending upon the traffic demand and their commercial viability, in compliance with the relevant guidelines,” he said.
The minister added that the government provides an enabling environment for growth of the civil aviation sector but does not interfere in the operational plans of airlines.
The RCS-UDAN scheme was launched in October 2016, with the objective of facilitating regional air connectivity to underserved and unserved airports by making flights affordable.
In a reply to a question in Parliament in August 2018, the then Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had stated that the revival of airstrips/airports is “demand driven”, depending upon firm commitment from airline operators as well as from state governments for providing various concessions.
He added that 73 RCS (17 underserved and 56 unserved) airports had been identified in the first and second round of bidding under RCS-UDAN for revival. Of these, 30 (12 underserved and 18 unserved) airports had been revived till August 2018.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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