PM Narendra Modi today flagged off the first regional flights under the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme from Shimla Airport, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The three inaugural flights were launched in the sectors of Shimla-Delhi, Kadapa-Hyderabad and Nanded-Hyderabad.
India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, with around 70 million domestic tickets sold annually and passenger numbers rising 20 per cent a year. Officials say raising regional air connectivity would see annual ticket sales jump to 300 million by 2022.
