India's UDAN Scheme Sees 123 Routes Fail Early, 651 of 923 Operational

December 8, 2025 at 11:12 AM•2 min read

The Indian government reported to Parliament that only 651 of 923 awarded UDAN regional connectivity routes are operational, with 123 prematurely shut

Key Points

1Only 651 of 923 UDAN regional connectivity routes awarded have been operationalized across India, as reported to Parliament.
2A significant 123 UDAN routes ceased operations prematurely before completing their three-year term, impacting regional accessibility.
3COVID-19, aircraft shortages, maintenance issues, and low passenger demand are key factors for UDAN route discontinuations.
4Indian government provides viability gap funding and re-bids discontinued routes to bolster the UDAN scheme's long-term viability.

The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation informed Parliament that only 651 of the 923 routes awarded under the regional connectivity UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme have been operationalized. A significant 123 routes ceased operations prematurely, failing to complete their intended three-year tenure, highlighting ongoing challenges in India's efforts to enhance air travel accessibility.

Reasons cited for the early discontinuation of routes and the non-operational status of 14 UDAN airports include disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent aircraft shortages, supply chain issues, and challenges with aircraft and airport/runway maintenance. Additionally, low passenger demand on specific routes, the completion of concession periods, poor visibility conditions, and daytime runway restrictions at Visual Flight Rules (VFR)-only airports have contributed to the scheme's hurdles.

To ensure the viability and uninterrupted operation of these routes, the Indian government provides viability gap funding (VGF) to airlines and supports the upgrading of regional airports. The Ministry also stated that discontinued routes are rebid in subsequent rounds, and measures such as increased adoption of Special VFR and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) standards are being implemented at feasible airports to facilitate all-weather operations. Uttar Pradesh leads with 96 awarded routes, 57 operational, and 20 discontinued, followed by Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, indicating varied success across states.