Minister for Infrastructure Development M.B. Patil has stressed the need for extending the benefit of the concessional airfares under the UDAN scheme for at least seven to 10 years, from the existing three years, to sustain the flight operations in regional areas.
Answering a question by member Thippannappa Kamakanur, on stopping the flight service between Kalaburagi and Bengaluru, the Minister said that the service had been stopped due to the decline in demand from passengers.
Under the UDAN scheme, the flight operators enjoy the benefit of concessional airfares for three years. The benefit extended to the airline expired in March 2023. However, the operator continued the services up to October 15, 2025, when the last flight took off. “We have been demanding that the Centre extend the UDAN benefits for more years; otherwise, many airports will stop functioning in the coming years,” he stated.
Published – December 16, 2025 07:08 pm IST
