In 2017, the Centre rolled out the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN), an ambitious initiative to boost flight connectivity on routes seen to be commercially unviable by making air travel more affordable.
UDAN achieved this through subsidised flights.
The Airports Authority of India and the Union and state governments came together to ensure cheaper airfares on these routes for a period of three years.
In Karnataka, Mysuru, Vijaynagar and Bidar were onboarded in phase 1 of the scheme’s launch. Hubballi joined in phase 2 and Belagavi and Kalaburagi in phase 3.
A reality check five years later shows how a perfect storm of unviable routes, skyrocketing jet fuel prices, private airlines’ dwindling profit margins and Covid-19 plunged the airports into grief,
