Regional air service to 8 places to start from Hindon in May

Regional air service to 8 places to start from Hindon in May

1. Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the civil enclave terminal built by Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Hindon airbase. The Hindon Air Force Station is located in Ghaziabad.
2. Flights under the UDAN scheme will begin from Hindon from May 2019. The Hindon airport will be able to handle aircraft that carry less than 80 passengers.
3. The civil enclave terminal at Hindon airbase has been built as the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi has been unable to accommodate new regional flights under UDAN scheme, due to capacity constraints.
4. Launched in 2017, Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) is a regional connectivity scheme. It seeks to connect under-served and un-served airports in India through revival of existing air-strips and airports. The scheme is being implemented by Airport Authority of India.
5. Under the scheme, airlines have to cap airfares for 50% of the total seats at Rs. 2,500 per hour of flight.
6. The losses for the price cap is compensated by a mechanism called Viability Gap Funding- A government grant provided to the airlines to bridge the gap between the cost of operations and expected revenue.
7. The scheme is a component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), 2016. It aims at making flying affordable to the masses and strengthening the regional air connectivity.