NEW DELHI: In a bid to boost regional connectivity OF Airlines, a total of 18 flight routes were operationalized under the UDAN scheme on Sunday. With this, over 343 routes have been operationalized under UDAN - Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

The  Ministry of Civil Aviation said in multiple tweets, "Since its inception, over 343 routes have been operationalized under #UDAN-RCS. On 28th March alone, 18 flight routes were operationalized in a new record under UDAN,".

“UDAN scheme intends to boost inclusive national economic growth, employment opportunities, and air transport infrastructure development across the nation while aiming to make air travel affordable and widespread in the country”.

The routes inaugurated on Sunday include Agra to Bangalore and Bhopal, Prayagraj to Bhubaneswar and Bhopal, Kurnool to Chennai, Bangalore and Vizag, Gorakhpur to Lucknow and Dimapur to Dibrugarh.

The full form of UDAN is 'Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik'. Its main objective is to make air travel affordable and widespread. The scheme is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). It is funded jointly by the Government of India and the state governments. The UDAN scheme aims to stimulate regional connectivity with flights covering distances up to 800 km through a market-based mechanism.

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