UDAN scheme helps improve passenger footfall at Mysore Airport: Airport Director

Anoop JR, the Airport Director, told ANI that the infrastructure of the airport has increased after the UDAN scheme.

"Today, we are celebrating the 8th anniversary of the UDAN scheme. In fact, the scheme started in 2017 at Mysore Airport. The UDAN scheme has contributed a lot to improving the passenger footfall of the airport," Anoop told ANI.

"Now we are on the verge of our expansion process. Our present runway, which is 1,740 metres, is going to be extended to a further one kilometre in an initial face," he added.

He said that the state government is coordinating the land acquisition process for the expansion of the airport. After acquiring land, the runway expansion work will be started, he said.

The UDAN scheme, part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, aims to make flying more affordable and connect remote regions. Launched in October 2016, it focuses on enhancing regional connectivity and has a goal of connecting 72 airports, including 45 unserved and underserved ones. The airfare for a one-hour journey of approximately 500 km under this scheme is capped at Rs. 2,500.

Meanwhile, Director of Kadapa district airport in Andhra Pradesh, Sujith Kr Poddar has shared details about the UDAN scheme and ongoing developments at the airport.

The Union government launched the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme at Kadapa airport in 2016, which was initially operated by TruJet Airways until 2021. After that, Indigo Airlines took over operations.

Currently, Kadapa airport has four flights each day, all monitored by Indigo Poddar, said on Saturday. "Presently we have four movements in a day. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, we have operations covering Chennai-Kadapa-Vijayawada. The other movement is Vijayawada-Kadapa-Chennai. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, we have movement from Bengaluru to Kadapa and Visakhapatnam, and back from Visakhapatnam-Kadapa-Bengaluru.