Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced significant developments in the aviation sector during the 5th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit (Heli Summit 2023) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

During the summit he launched Udan 5.2 to bolster air connectivity in remote areas and also talked about the impressive growth in the aviation fleet from 400 in 2013 to 700 currently with plans to increase it further to 1500 within 5 years.

During the summit, the Minister emphasised on the efforts taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make air travel accessible to people in remote areas. He also inaugurated three Flight Training Organizations (FTOs) in Khajuraho and announced the forthcoming launch of a wide-body aircraft flight between Khajuraho and Varanasi.

Since 2014, the aviation sector has seen remarkable growth, witnessing the development of 148 airports, including heliports and water aerodromes. The fleet size has grown by 75%, reaching 700 aircraft, and the number of flying organizations has increased from 28 to 57.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also issued a record 1135 commercial pilot licenses with 731 of them being issued in the first five months of 2023. Scindia also expressed the government’s commitment to further democratising the aviation sector and expanding air connectivity to various regions, fostering the nation’s overall development.

Udan aims to make air travel for all more accessible and affordable to a wider range of citizens by capping airfare on regional routes and providing financial incentives to airlines and airport operators It encourages airlines to operate at routes which are underserved and have not been financially viable otherwise.

Speaking on the occasion, Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "“The country's civil aviation sector has been democratised in the last nine years. Along with the number of airports, there has been a vast expansion in the number of aircraft and the market size. And in this expansion big metro airports and large airlines, are as important as small town airports, small airlines and helicopters".

“Today we have launched UDAN 5.2 for helicopters and under this we have increased the VGF and reduced the fare cap. Along with this, we have also started single window service platform of HeliSewa. Through this, you will be able to get all the approvals from ATC on your mobile," Scindia said. "We have also started UDAN 5.2 for small aircraft. Today we have awarded 22 routes, which underlines the fact that air travel facility is being made available to citizens living in remote areas, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he added.