Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said that the government has decided to operationalize 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme. He also said that privatization is required in the field of aviation as it is not the government's specialization to run airports.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP's state office Kushabhau Thakre Parisar here over the Union Budget 2021-22, Puri also said that domestic flight services from Bilaspur town in Chhattisgarh will begin from March 1 under the regional connectivity scheme. "My ministry has set a target to operationalize 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme," he said.

 "Fifty-six airports have already been upgraded and over 700 routes awarded, of which air-service has commenced on 311 routes under the UDAN scheme since it was launched in 2017 with a budget of Rs 4,500 crore," Puri said. On this line, flight services will start from Bilaspur airport from March 1. At present, the Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, has been given the Bilaspur- Prayagraj-Delhi route, he said. Speaking about the budget 2021-22, he said after it was presented, the stock market witnessed a considerable boost and the budget also earned praise from intellectuals and independent commentators across the country.

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