PM Modi flagged off first such flight from Shimla to Delhi yesterday, with a fare of Rs 2,036 per seat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the low-cost regional air connectivity scheme launched yesterday by him will benefit many small towns while catering to the middle class and the neo-middle class.
"Yes, this scheme is aimed at catering to the aspirations of the middle class and the neo-middle class," he tweeted.
He was responding to a tweet by a follower who said the UDAN scheme was a remarkable step which can benefit especially the medium class families.
"UDAN is going to benefit so many small towns. It will make the aviation sector even more accessible," PM Modi said in response to a tweet by another follower who wrote, "A big relief for tier two cities."
The UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) seeks to popularize regional air travel on short sectors by capping fares at Rs 2,500 per hour.
PM Modi flagged off first such flight from Shimla to Delhi yesterday, with a fare of Rs 2,036 per seat.
"Earlier we used to believe that air travel was meant only for 'rajas' (kings) and 'maharajahs' (emperors). This is the thinking that we need to change," the Prime Minister had said yesterday.
"I want to see people who wear Hawaii chappal (rubber slippers) in a hawai jahaaz (aeroplane)," he had said after the launch.
Bidding for the second round of the regional connectivity scheme or UDAN, which seeks to make flying affordable on short domestic routes, is likely to conclude within the next three months, the government said today.
"We are still deciding on when the bidding process will be open," Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said at a press conference.