Development work at four out of the six airports chosen for the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN in Jharkhand has been finished, as per Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol’s response to a query in the Rajya Sabha by member Parimal Nathwani. The airports covered under the scheme in Jharkhand include Bokaro, Dumka, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Deoghar, and Daltonganj.
Flight operations are operational at Jamshedpur and Deoghar airports, with infrastructure development at Bokaro and Dumka airports already completed. However, the projects for Hazaribagh and Daltonganj airports have not started due to the state government not providing the necessary land, leading to a halt in progress.
The government revealed that Rs 122.04 crore has been allocated for airport development projects in Jharkhand, with Rs 117.61 crore already utilized. These funds have been used to enhance aviation infrastructure and boost air connectivity to smaller cities in the state.
While the government confirmed the completion of development work at Bokaro and Dumka airports, the commencement date for commercial flight services from these airports was not specified. Local sources mentioned that the process of obtaining approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for flight operations is currently in progress.
A new version of the UDAN scheme was launched on July 4, 2026, aiming to connect 120 new or underserved airports and destinations across the country in the next decade, providing affordable regional air connectivity to around 40 million individuals. The UDAN scheme, part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, envisions connecting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through a financially supported model, incentivizing airlines with concessions and Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to operate on regional routes for improved accessibility and affordable fares.
