January 2024

Background

Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik
Launched in 2016

Krishi Udan Scheme

The central government’s Krishi Udan Scheme, launched in 2020 to facilitate transport of agricultural produce on international and national routes, currently covers 58 airports.

New routes explored

Introduced 517 new flying routes and 76 airports in small towns anc cities over the past 7 years.

only 11 out of 76 are entirely new constructions, remaining were existing defence or defunct airports, revived. ![obsidian|400][IMG_20251215_202142_524.jpg]

Rollouts of routes

![obsidian|400][IMG_20251215_202135_002.jpg]

Rise in domestic air travellers

![obsidian|400][IMG_20251215_202137_451.jpg]

Challenges for the scheme

Poor infrastructure (Darbhanga doesn't have an instrument landing system, to facilitate night landing and during bad weather)
Turbulent aviation sector (Go First crashed and burned in 2023)
Rising costs (During the wedding season and Chhath Puja, air tickets from Delhi to Darbhanga can cost between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.)
Lack of air conditioners,
Lack of sufficient seating,
Lack of display boards
Lack of eateries
Delay of flights

Only 7% are sustainable, CAG report, 2023

Only 7 per cent of routes under the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme are sustainable after the three-year government subsidy period, according to a 2023 CAG report.

The CAG, in its August 2023 report, called for a revamp in the booking of seats on regional routes to ensure that airline operators do not charge more than the cap stipulated in the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme.

Out of 1,154 routes, only 517 operational as of 2023

While the government has awarded 1,154 routes to 13 operators under the UDAN scheme, only 517 routes were actually operational as of 27 December 2023. And though domestic air travel has increased, services on many routes under UDAN have stopped.

Delay and diversion of flights

According to data compiled by Flight Era, 67 per cent of the flights serving Darbhanga airport—around five a day—are delayed.

There are times when flights from Delhi to Darbhanga are diverted to Patna due to bad weather or technical glitches.

103 RCS discontinued as of 2023

As of 31 October last year, 103 regional connectivity scheme (RCS) routes were discontinued after three years, and another 136 routes were terminated before completing the three-year subsidy period, Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh had told the Rajya Sabha.

8 domestic airlines folded in the past 5 years

Central government data shows that eight domestic airlines have folded in the past five years, including Go Airlines, Air Deccan, Air Odisha, and TruJet. Of these, TruJet was running operations on 40 RCS routes.

₹601 crores to ₹1,244 crores in 2023-24

The finance ministry doubled the outlay for UDAN from Rs 601 crore in the last financial year to Rs 1,244 in 2023-2024.

53 religious routes under RCS

In the last six years, 53 religious routes were awarded under the RCS scheme, including Khajuraho, Amritsar, and Kishangarh (Ajmer).

Through UDAN, the government wants to cash in on the lucrative temple corridors and religious tourism, which, according to market estimates, was valued at around $56 billion in FY2023, up from $44 billion in 2020.

Airports, new railway stations

Passengers exiting Darbhanga airport stop by a woman squatting some 30 metres away selling fish. Others scarf down litti-chokha before entering the terminal. Airports are the new railway stations.

Bihar's oldest airport

Built by Kameshwar Singh, the erstwhile maharaja of Darbhanga, in 1950, it is, in fact, one of the oldest airports in Bihar. The enterprising maharaja also launched a private carrier, Darbhanga Aviation, but it shut down in 1962.
The airport was reportedly taken over by the Indian Air Force during the war with China.