UDAN changing air travel game, creating jobs, developing regions: What experts said

New Delhi: The Modi government launched UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) eight years ago with an aim to enhance regional air connectivity and make flying more affordable. With the country celebrating the 8 years of the UDAN scheme, let’s see what PwC, Deloitte, and industry experts have to say about the success of UDAN. The scheme stands as a testament to the government’s vision of democratising air travel and transforming the aviation landscape.

Over the years, the UDAN scheme has enabled citizens from tier 2 and tier 3 towns to access air travel like never before.

PwC, which provided multinational professional services, praised UDAN scheme for successfully connecting smaller tier 2 and tier 3 towns to the aviation market across India. “The successful implementation of the regional connectivity scheme (UDAN) has been even more instrumental in connecting smaller tier 2 and tier 3 towns to the trunk aviation markets in India,” it stated. PwC further stated that the UDAN Scheme has helped in creating job opportunities, economic and regional development.

‘A golden decade of airlines is coming’

Commenting on the UDAN Scheme, Mirchandani, chairman of Sky One, said it has transformed the aviation industry and “Air travel has transitioned from ‘Exclusive’ to ‘Inclusive’ due to many reasons. Emphasising on the Udan scheme, he said that the program has helped smaller cities getting air services and it has also “boosted business travel, tourism, and trade, leading to job creation and economic growth in these regions.”

Meanwhile, Deloitte projected that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in India will increase 8-10 million tonnes by 2040, with an estimated capital investment of US$ 70-85 billion (Rs. 6-7 lakh crore). The global consulting company said that this massive investment would help create between 1.1 and 1.4 million jobs across the SAF value chain while significantly reducing crude oil import bills by US$ 5-7 billion annually.

Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of InterGlobe, the parent company of IndiGo, was all praise for the incumbent government, saying that the work done in the aviation sector during this regime is the best he has seen in his 30 years.

Meanwhile, Vinay Dube, CEO of Akasa Air, predicted a prosperous future: “A golden decade of airlines is coming; I see a lot of profitability for the next 10 years.”