Union Minister launches UDAN 5.2 and HeliSeva App at 5th Heli Summit in Khajuraho

Tags: Government Schemes

On July 25, 2023, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the 5th Heli Summit (Helicopter and Small Aircraft Summit) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, in which he introduced UDAN 5.2 and HeliSeva App.

An Overview of the News

• The 5th Helicopter and Small Aircraft Summit was jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Pawan Hans Limited and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

• The central theme of the 5th Helicopter and Small Aircraft Summit was "Reaching the Last Mile: Regional Connectivity throughHelicopters and Small Aircraft."

Udaan 5.2 and HeliSeva App:

• During the 5th Heli Summit, Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled the next phase of the "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik" scheme.

• UDAN 5.2 aims to establish air connectivity to remote areas of the country using aircraft with a seating capacity of less than 20 passengers.

• Jyotiraditya Scindia also introduced the Heliseva mobile application, which is designed to simplify the approval process for helicopter operators by providing a single-window service platform for government officials.

Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Scheme:

• The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) was launched by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation on 21 October 2016.

• The inaugural flight under the UDAN scheme took place in April 2017, connecting Shimla to Delhi.

• The primary objective of UDAN is to increase access to air travel by capping airfares on regional routes, with the government also providing Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to compensate airline operators for losses incurred due to low fares.

• As of now, the UDAN scheme covers 148 airports across India.

About Khajuraho:

• Khajuraho, located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, is famous for its Hindu and Jain temples.

• Built by the Chandela rulers between 950-1050 AD, these temples are known for the grandeur of their architecture.

• UNESCO granted the temples of Khajuraho World Heritage Site status in 1986 due to their remarkable architectural beauty.

About Madhya Pradesh

• Governor - Mangubhai Patel

• Chief Minister - Shivraj Singh Chauhan

• Capital - Bhopal