Airline operator from Rupsi airport withdrew proposal, says civil aviation minister

GUWAHATI: The Centre has identified as many as 14 regional connectivity scheme (RCS) routes in Assam under UDAN round 4.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency, has identified Jorhat, Lilabari, Tezpur and Rupsi as UDAN airports for operation of UDAN flights in Assam. The heliports identified are Nagaon, Misa and Geleki and the water aerodrome identified are Guwahati River Front and Umrangso Reservoir.

In a written reply to a question by deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, minister of state for civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said the selected airline operator (SAO) from the Rupsi airport to Guwahati and Kolkata RCS route has subsequently withdrawn the proposal.

The Rupsi airport in Dhubri district of Assam has been ready for commercial operation since November last year.

The salient features for routes under UDAN are demand driven, affordability of airfare, viability gap funding (VGF) to SAOs, minimum performance level of UDAN flights by the SAOs, exclusivity of operation on UDAN routes and focus on priority areas such as the Northeast, hilly sates and islands.

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VGF is given to SAOs for operating UDAN flights under the scheme. AAI has so far disbursed Rs 79.6 lakh to SAO for operating UDAN flights in Assam.

The minister also said, “The SAOs under UDAN are obligated to commence RCS flight operations on a RCS-route within a period of six months from the issuance of Letter of Award or within two months from the readiness of airport, whichever is later, unless any extension is granted by the implementing agency.”