The scheme was implemented with the slogan ‘Udan’ (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) and tier two-three airports got a renaissance of which Belgaum was no exception. Belgaum Airport, which is included in the third phase of UDAAN, has got 13 routes under UDAAN.
Udan was a successful experiment in encouraging air travel on commercially unviable routes by making air travel affordable to the common man. An example of this is that Belgaum Airport experienced the highest number of flights in its history with 32 flights (16 arrivals and 16 departures).
Udan Yojana, which offers cheap air travel fares on the route provided by Belgaum Airport, was running for the last 3 years. But this period of satisfaction for Belgaum is about to end. This means that airlines on routes that have completed 3 years of service will no longer get any benefits from the government.
The winter air travel schedule was recently implemented on October 30. Accordingly, a maximum of 12 flights per day (6 arrivals and 6 departures) are running from Belgaum Airport. One day this number increases to 14. However, once Udaan’s cheap air fare scheme ends, most of the private airlines will withdraw their flights. The number of passengers at Belgaum airport has also decreased. The main reason behind this is the decrease in flights. 6440 flights arriving and departing from Belgaum Airport in the year 2021-22 due to the Udan scheme for cheap air travel. Through which 2 lakh 80 thousand passengers traveled by air.
In view of the closure of its Belgaum Pune flight by Alliance Air, the flight closure session has started. However, flights between Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad which are not under UDAAN from Belgaum are running successfully. Recently Belgaum Airport (IXG) has been added to Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore, Ajmer, Nagpur, Nashik, Jodhpur, Tirupati and Surat. Spice Jet, IndiGo and Star Air are operating on these routes.
