Civil Aviation Minister inaugurates stakeholder workshop on Modified UDAN
Modified UDAN is being repositioned as a broader regional connectivity and airport-development framework, with new provisions on viability gap funding, aerodrome support, route allocation, and operations at metro airports.
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation organised a stakeholder workshop on the next phase of UDAN at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 17 July 2026.
- Modified UDAN includes longer Viability Gap Funding support, aerodrome development provisions, Operation and Maintenance support, and revised route-allocation rules.
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation says the next phase of UDAN is meant to strengthen regional air connectivity and balanced regional development.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the next phase of the UDAN scheme as Modified UDAN and explained its provisions at a stakeholder workshop in New Delhi on 17 July 2026. The policy significance lies in the shift from a connectivity-only model to a broader framework that also covers aerodrome development, operational support, and route allocation.
The Union government says the scheme is intended to expand regional air connectivity, promote balanced regional development, and extend aviation benefits beyond major cities. The workshop also placed the revised scheme in the context of India’s airport expansion and the revival of unutilized and unserved airstrips.
What happened now
UPSC can frame Modified UDAN as a policy question on how the Union government uses subsidy, route prioritisation, airport development, and operational support to expand connectivity in underserved regions while addressing viability constraints for airlines and airport operators.
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