7 years on, has govt’s Udan scheme made flying easier?

Nearly 74% of flight operators have exited and only 23% of the routes awarded under the Udan scheme are operational, according to a CAG audit report. The scheme, launched in 2016, aimed to improve air connectivity for tier-2 and tier-3 cities. However, more than half of the routes that started operations have shut down, and 9 out of 19 operators awarded routes never commenced flights. Smaller players struggle with compliance and operational requirements, while bigger airlines have received substantial funding, giving them an unfair advantage.