Digi Yatra Revolutionizes Airport Experience, Sets Global Benchmark for Seamless Travel: Scindia

The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, announced that the aviation sector in India has undergone significant changes under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previously limited to a select few, air travel has now become accessible to the common man. Scindia highlighted the growth in domestic passengers, which increased from 60 million in 2014 to 143 million in 2020 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. International passengers also saw a significant increase, rising from 43 million to 64 million, marking nearly a 50% growth. Despite the impact of Covid-19, the number of aircraft has risen from around 400 in 2014 to 723 in 2023.

Scindia emphasized the launch of Digi Yatra, a program designed for domestic flight passengers, which aims to set a new global benchmark for a seamless, hassle-free, and safe passenger experience at airports. The initiative was initially introduced at three airports – Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi – on December 1, 2022, and later expanded to four more airports – Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada – in March 2023. The government plans to implement Digi Yatra across various airports in the country. Furthermore, the minister highlighted the progress in airport infrastructure, with the government operationalizing an additional 74 airports, helicopters, and water aerodromes, bringing the total to 220.

In addition to airport development, the government has also made strides in the establishment of 11 greenfield airports. The UDAN scheme, aimed at enhancing regional connectivity, has identified 180 RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) airports, including 25 water aerodromes and 40 helipads, for the operation of RCS flights. Currently, out of 1,152 awarded RCS routes, 475 routes have commenced operations, connecting 74 airports, nine heliports, and two water aerodromes. The RCS UDAN scheme has facilitated travel for approximately 121.67 lakh passengers, and an amount of around Rs 2,585.25 crore has been released to selected airline operators for the operation of RCS UDAN flights. Recently, Udan 5.1 was launched, focusing specifically on helicopter routes.