New Delhi, August 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Centre has earmarked Rs 28,840 crore for the next phase of the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Friday, as the government outlined plans to expand regional air connectivity and strengthen India’s aviation ecosystem.
The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, chaired by Naidu, discussed the next phase of UDAN, reforms in the Flying Training Organisation (FTO) ecosystem and the transformation of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) at a meeting in Mysuru, Karnataka.
Naidu said the government had invested around Rs 10,000 crore over the past decade in airport development and viability gap funding for airlines. The next phase of UDAN, he said, would take this investment to a larger scale with an allocation of Rs 28,840 crore.
“Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of UDAN, aviation is increasingly becoming an engine of regional development and inclusive economic growth, benefiting farmers, exporters, businesses and communities,” Naidu said.
He added that India was also advancing aviation technologies such as drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, alongside reforms in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and air cargo.
The committee was briefed on measures to expand pilot training while maintaining safety standards. The number of FTOs has increased from 32 in 2020 to 41 in 2026, while flying bases have risen from 32 to 63. A ranking framework for FTOs has also been introduced to improve transparency and help aspiring pilots make informed choices.
Naidu said Indian airlines had placed aircraft orders on an unprecedented scale, creating a corresponding need for a skilled workforce trained domestically.
The meeting also reviewed the transformation of IGRUA, where annual aircraft utilisation has reached an average of 1,765 flying hours per aircraft, exceeding the global benchmark of around 1,500 hours. The academy has also recorded a budget surplus for the first time after more than two decades of recurring deficits.
MPs Gopal Jee Thakur, Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Sayani Ghosh, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, M. Dhanapal, Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute and Mysore MP Yaduveer Chamaraja Wadiyar attended the meeting.
Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, DGCA Director General Vir Vikram Yadav, Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar, BCAS Director General Rajesh Nirwan and other senior officials were also present.
Naidu thanked the MPs for their suggestions and assured them that their recommendations would be considered while advancing initiatives for the continued growth of the civil aviation sector.
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