UDAN Scheme
Origin, Objective, and Mechanism
UDAN — an acronym for "Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik" (Let the Common Citizen of the Country Fly) — is a flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) launched on October 21, 2016, under the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016. The nodal ministry is the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The scheme aims to make air travel affordable and available to common citizens by connecting unserved and underserved airports in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities at capped fares (originally Rs 2,500 for a one-hour journey). The first UDAN flight operated on April 27, 2017, connecting Shimla to Delhi.
- Full name: Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (Let the Common Citizen Fly)
- Launch date: October 21, 2016 (first flight: April 27, 2017)
- Policy basis: National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation
- Target: Unserved airports (no air service for 1 year+) and underserved airports (fewer than 7 weekly departures)
- Fare cap: Originally Rs 2,500 per seat for approximately 1 hour of flight
- Duration: Original scheme had a 10-year mandate (2016-2026); Budget 2025 extended it for another 10 years
● Tracked since March 01, 2026 · last seen March 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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