There was once a common belief about air travel in the country that it was only for the resourceful people. But now the picture is changing rapidly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of Noida International Airport at Jewar, built at a huge cost of Rs 11,200 crore. This mega project was started by pressing the button of the remote in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This is not just the opening of an airport, but the beginning of a new era in the aviation sector of the country. On this occasion, PM Modi made it clear that airstrips are not just concrete structures, but they directly give a new flight to the country’s economy and progress.
The sky became accessible to the common man
On the occasion of the inauguration of Jewar Airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that the aim of his government is to make even the common man wearing ‘Hawai Chappal’ travel by plane. To make this dream come true, the government has come up with ‘UDAN 2.0’ scheme.. Statistics testify to this big change. Before 2014, only 74 airports were operating across India, whose number has more than doubled today and has crossed 160. Now the flights which were limited only to metropolitan cities are touching the skies of small cities of the country as well. The government’s ambitious ‘Udaan’ (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme has played a very revolutionary role in this direction. Under this scheme, which was started in October 2016, till now more than 1.62 crore people have availed the benefit of air travel at very cheap rates and flights are operating smoothly on 663 routes.
Udaan 2.0: Will airplanes land in your city too?
Seeing this great success, the government has approved its upgraded version ‘Udaan 2.0’. The Union Cabinet has approved a budget of Rs 28,840 crore for the expansion of this scheme, which will be spent in the next 10 years (till financial year 2035-36). PM Modi said, 100 new airports will be built by developing old and unusable airstrips across the country. Apart from this, 200 modern helipads will also be prepared. Its direct and biggest benefit will be to the hilly areas, north-eastern states and island areas, where reaching by road or rail still proves to be a big challenge.
There will be a flood of employment in the aviation sector
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, as new airports are being built in the country, large orders for new aircraft are also being placed by the airline companies. When the aircraft fleet increases, lakhs of new jobs will be created in the fields of pilots, cabin crew and airport operations. ‘Made in India’ initiative has also been given new wings in Udaan 2.0. A special provision of Rs 400 crore has been made to promote the purchase of indigenous aircraft for regional flights. Under this, it is proposed to purchase ‘Dhruv’ helicopter of Hindustan Aeronautics for Pawan Hans and ‘Dornier’ aircraft for Alliance Air, so that the shortage of small aircraft can be met in the country itself.
There will be a big boom in the economy of small towns
Air connectivity not only makes travel easier and faster, but it also acts as a lifeline for trade and tourism in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. This will also help a lot in quickly reaching better health facilities during medical emergencies in remote areas. To encourage airlines to operate on these shorter routes, the government will also provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 10,043 crore for 10 years. Besides, financial assistance will also be provided for operation and maintenance of airports and helipads. This plan is going to prove to be an important link in making India’s aviation ecosystem the strongest in the world and realizing the dream of ‘Developed India’ by 2047.
Also read- Ethanol became the support of farmers’ income, PM Modi enumerated the benefits.