Fly for the price of a coffee under the UDAN scheme

Fly for the price of a coffee under the UDAN scheme

Travellers can now fly for as low as the cost of a cup of coffee on the Lilabari to Tezpur route in Assam, thanks to the regional air connectivity scheme.

The scheme allows passengers to enjoy a swift 50-minute journey on an incredibly affordable base airfare, part of a larger scheme incentivising airlines to expand their services to underserved areas.

According to travel portal ixigo’s analysis, there are 22 such affordable routes, where base airfares don’t exceed Rs 1,000. The cheapest base fare identified is Rs 150 on the flight connecting Lilabari and Tezpur in Assam, operated by Alliance Air.

While booking a ticket, there will be an additional convenience charge to the base fare.

The base fare on an airplane ticket is like the starting price you pay for your seat on the plane. It covers the basic cost of flying you from one place to another. Think of it as the ticket price before any extra charges or fees are added on, like taxes, fuel surcharges, or fees for extra luggage. So, it’s the main cost of the ticket without any extras.

This low-cost fare scheme applies mostly to the routes in the North East, with additional routes like Bengaluru-Salem and Cochin-Salem offering similar rates.

Other notable base fares include Rs 400 for flights between Guwahati and Shillong and Rs 525 for Bengaluru to Salem trips. Prices are slightly higher for trips, such as Rs 999 for Guwahati-Pasighat and Rs 954 for Lilabari-Guwahati.

The scheme is known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) and was launched by the civil aviation ministry on October 21, 2016. It aims to enhance regional connectivity and make air travel affordable.

As of March 31, 2024, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) reported that 559 routes have been operationalised under this initiative, offering benefits such as waived landing and parking fees.

UDAN was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016 with the objective of boosting regional air connectivity and making air travel more pocket-friendly.