The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, General Dr V K Singh (Retd), has announced that the Nagarjuna Sagar water aerodrome has been identified under the UDAN scheme, with a provision of Rs. 20 crores made for the development of water aerodrome and seaplane operations. The UDAN scheme has already completed four rounds of bidding, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) awarding 66 UDAN routes in Telangana, out of which 42 routes have been operationalised.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released a policy for the promotion of helicopter operations across India, which covers various aspects such as concessional ground handling charges, landing charges, and training for Air Traffic Control. The policy aims to stimulate air traffic and enhance air connectivity through helicopters by facilitating helicopter operations across the country.
In response to a query raised by Nalgonda MP Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Union Minister stated that Adilabad, Aleru, and Kagazpur airports/airstrips are available in the tentative list of unserved airports in the UDAN Scheme document, while Jakranpally (Nizamabad), Palvancha, Mehbubnagar, Mamnoor (Warangal), and Basantnagar (Peddapalli) airstrips are not listed. However, these airstrips may be included in the list at the request of the State Government of Telangana.
The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) was launched in October 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses. Interested airlines submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN based on their assessment of demand on particular routes.
Regarding the Warangal airport, the Minister did not provide a direct reply on whether the Government of Telangana has allocated 950 acres of land for its revival under the UDAN scheme. Instead, he stated that the airport was not on the tentative list of unserved airports in the UDAN document.
