73 airports, helipads now on aviation maps

SRINAGAR: A total number of 73 airports and helipads in remote and unconnected places across the country will now be on the aviation map of the country, with the launch of the Government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) also known as “UDAN” (‘Ude Deshka Aam Naagrik’).

This includes eight airports/helipads in Arunachal Pradesh, 15 in Uttarakhand and six in Himachal Pradesh. The town of Kargil (in J&K) will also be connected by air to Srinagar. Significantly, all three states border China. Five more airports-helipads will be connected in Assam, five in Manipur and one in Sikkim, thereby making it a big aviation connectivity bonanza for the north-east.

But there’s good news for other states too, including poll-bound Karnataka.

The city of Hubli, one of the largest in Karnataka after Bengaluru, will now be connected by air to several cities including Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi (Kerala), Goa, Hindan (in UP near Delhi), Goa, Hyderabad and Kannur (Kerala). Uttar Pradesh is also another big gainer, with nine places to be connected including Aligarh, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Moradabad, Muirpur and Shravasti.

Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju announced the launch of the second round of the ambitious air-connectivity scheme.

In fact, at the event, the Lok Sabha member from Dharwad (that encompases Hubli) also addressed reporters—after being invited to do so by the Civil aviation ministry—-and spoke about the benefits that it would bring Hubli.