Air Transportation

Air transport is the fastest way to move people and goods from one place to another. By cutting down travel time dramatically, it has, in effect, shrunk distances. For a vast and geographically diverse country like India — where distances are enormous and terrain and climate vary sharply — air travel is not a luxury but a necessity.

A modest start, then rapid growth

Air transport in India began in 1911, when the first airmail operation covered a mere 10 kilometres between Prayagraj and Naini. Real development, however, took off only after Independence. Today, the Airport Authority of India is the body responsible for ensuring safe and efficient air traffic control and aeronautical communication services across Indian airspace.

Making flying affordable for everyone: UDAN

A landmark initiative in this sector is the UDAN scheme — short for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (Let the common citizen of the country fly). It is the first scheme of its kind in the world, designed specifically to jump-start the regional aviation market.

The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN was conceived by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. Its core objective is to promote regional connectivity by making air travel affordable for the common citizen. The central idea is to encourage airlines to operate flights on regional and remote routes. This is done through enabling policies and by extending incentives to airlines.

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