Current Affairs - Miscellaneous - Discussion

Central Government awarded 325 more routes to airlines as well as helicopter operators under its regional connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik). In awarding routes under second round of bidding, emphasis was laid on flight services to hilly and remote areas, including Kargil. After flight services start on these routes, a total of 56 new airports and helipads will be connected to 36 existing aerodromes. These routes have been awarded to 15 airlines and helicopter operators. Among the major Indian airline operators, IndiGo's 20 proposals, SpiceJet's 17 proposals and Jet Airways 4 proposals have been approved. Interestingly, in this second round of bidding, four helicopter operators have been granted rights to fly on selected routes. Under UDAN scheme, Airline operators have to offer half of their seats at discounted rates while helicopter operators have to offer up to 13 seats at lower fares.