Air Vistara shells out Rs 70 lakh fine for not operating mandated UDAN flights in northeast

India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Tata-owned airline Air Vistara Rs 70 lakh after the carrier failed to meet the minimum number of flights operated to underserved areas in the northeast.

Imposed in October 2022, the airline had fallen short of the number in April 2022. Vistara says it has paid the fine under protest as the airline had deployed the requisite number but could not meet the target due to the closure of the Bagdogra airport.