Mumbai: The pace of aerodrome operationalisation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) has seen a stark slowdown in recent years, revealed the data tabled in the parliament. While the early years of the scheme saw aggressive expansion of regional infrastructure, the momentum has steadily tapered off, dropping from 18 aerodromes operationalised in 2018 to just five in 2025.

95 Aerodromes Operationalised Since Launch

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​According to official figures submitted by Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in response to a Lok Sabha query, a total of 95 unserved and underserved aerodromes – comprising regional airports, heliports, and water aerodromes – have been operationalised across 34 States and union territories since the scheme's inception. However, a year-wise breakdown underscores a significant deceleration in bringing new regional hubs online.

​The scheme got off to a rapid start during its initial rollout with 16 aerodromes operationalised in 2017, which further peaked in 2018 with 18 aerodromes brought into the fold. However, the figure dropped down to 10 in 2019 and has largely been falling consistently since then as operationalisations hit a historic law of five unserved aerodromes. Moreover, only two heliports have been added to the list in the current year.

Focus Shifts From Airports To Heliports

​A close reading of the official data reveals a clear structural pivot in how the ministry is executing the scheme. In the initial phases, mainstream regional airports dominated the operationalisation list – including high-traffic regional hubs like Belgaum, Jharsuguda, Darbhanga, and Deoghar. ​In recent years, however, the focus has increasingly shifted away from large commercial airfields toward specialised, difficult-terrain infrastructure such as heliports.

Under UDAN 5.1, the Ministry emphasised last-mile connectivity in remote and hilly regions, operationalising five targeted heliports – Champawat, Munsyari, and Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, along with Reckong Peo and Shimla (Sanjoli) in Himachal Pradesh.

While the scheme has successfully connected key Tier-2 and Tier-3 centers, the remaining unserved locations present complex execution challenges, including strict terrain constraints, lengthy land acquisition processes and limited commercial viability for airline operators once three-year Viability Gap Funding (VGF) windows expire.

Recently the union aviation ministry launched the second phase of UDAN, extending it till 2036, with an aim to upgrade 100 unserved airstrips into full-fledged airports and construct 200 helipads over eight years. The new RCS scheme will also provide VGF support to airline operators worth Rs 10,043 crore for 10 years, which was earlier provided for only three years.

However, the performance sheet of the first phase highlights severe concerns as over 49% of the total 663 routes launched under UDAN scheme has been discontinued. According to the government, the discontinuation of the routes is owed to a variety of factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft shortage, supply chain issues, aircraft maintenance, airport or runway maintenance, and low passenger demand on some routes, among others.

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