UDAN will make air travel affordable for many, but not the poor

Scheme will feature flights to smaller towns in which a certain number of seats will be subsidised

The average Indian is unlikely to be able to afford a Rs 2,500 flight–13.8 times the monthly spending on travel (Rs 180) in 2011-2012–under the government’s new “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik” (UDAN) programme.

Launched on 27 April 2017, UDAN will feature flights to underserved smaller towns in which a certain number of seats will be subsidized–Rs 2,500 for an hour-long flight, and fares going up pro-rata for longer distances–according to a government press release. For instance, a subsidized Shimla to Delhi ticket for June 1 is