Ministry of Civil Aviation identified 24 routes in Assam under first Phase of UDAN-4.0

The AAI has also identified a number of UDAN airports, heliports, and water aerodromes for operation of the UDAN flights in Assam. This information was given in a written reply by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/C) Civil Aviation, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The four airports are Jorhat, Lilabari, Tezpur, and Rupsi. The three heliports are Nagaon, Misa, and Geleki. The two 'Water Aerodromes are the Guwahati River Front, and the Umrangso Reservoir.

The broad salient features of the scheme are: Demand driven; affordability of airfare; Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to Selected Airline Operators (SAOs); Minimum performance level of UDAN flights by the SAOs; exclusivity of operation on UDAN routes; focus on priority areas -- the North East, hilly States and islands.

The VGF is provided to the SAOs for operating the UDAN flights under the scheme. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) -- the implementing agency -- has so far disbursed Rs 79,60,680 to the SAO for operating the UDAN flights in Assam.

The SAOs under UDAN are obligated to commence the RCS flight operations on a RCS-route within a period of six months from the issuance of the 'Letter of Award' or within two months from the readiness of airport, whichever is later, unless any extension is granted by the Implementing Agency, stated a release.

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