Uttarakhand
Inauguration of New Heli Service in Uttarakhand
- 02 Mar 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Recently, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated heli service in Uttrakhand to boost connectivity within the state.
Key Points
- The newly launched helicopter service will link Haldwani with Munsiyari, Pithoragarh, and Champawat.
- This initiative is a part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme which aims to reduce the distance between these remote regions.
- Due to Uttarakhand’s challenging terrains, aerial connectivity will help with both everyday travel and critical emergency response capabilities.
- This launch follows the recent inauguration of a new terminal building at Jolly Grant Airport.
- Upcoming air routes were also announced, including Dehradun to Amritsar, Dehradun to Pantnagar, and Dehradun to Ayodhya.
Regional Connectivity Scheme: UDAN
- About:
- UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for regional airport development and regional connectivity enhancement.
- It is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016.
- The scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years.
- Phases:
- Phase 1 was launched in 2017, with the objective of connecting underserved and unserved airports in the country.
- Phase 2 was launched in 2018, with the aim of expanding air connectivity to more remote and inaccessible parts of the country.
- Phase 3 was launched in November 2018, with the focus on enhancing air connectivity to hilly and remote regions of the country.
- Phase 4 of the UDAN scheme was launched in December 2019, with a focus on connecting islands and other remote areas of the country.
- Phase 5 was launched in April 2023, with a focus on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats) aircrafts with no restriction on the distance between the origin and the destination of the flight.
