Latest news with #UDANScheme
Mint
5 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Authorities conduct mock emergency drill at Sikkim's Pakyong airport to evaluate crisis management capabilities
A full-scale mock emergency exercise was conducted at Pakyong Airport near Sikkim's Gangtok on Friday to reinforce coordinated response mechanisms, PTI quoted officials as saying. According to the details, the exercise was designed to simulate a real-time aircraft accident scenario and aimed at evaluating the airport's crisis management capabilities, following heightened awareness around aviation safety in the aftermath of the recent Ahmedabad crash, PTI quoted a statement by the Sikkim Information and Public Relations department as saying. Organised under the supervision of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the exercise involved the coordinated participation of multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Sikkim State Fire and Emergency Services, AAI Fire and Rescue personnel, staff from the local Primary Health Centre (PHC), and various district-level support agencies, it added. The simulation tested not only the responsiveness and efficiency of each participating unit but also their ability to collaborate seamlessly under pressure, it said. In the exercise, special emphasis was laid on inter-agency coordination, particularly between AAI's operational wings, including ATC and Fire Services, and external emergency units such as the State Fire Service and medical responders. The objective was to ensure that all personnel are well-versed with their roles and responsibilities during a crisis situation and are able to function as a cohesive team, the statement said. Spread over 201 acres, Pakyong Airport is a domestic airport serving Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi operationalized it under the UDAN Scheme on 24 September 2018. However, commercial flight operations started on 4 October 2018. The airport is one of the five highest airports in India and the first greenfield airport constructed in Northeast India. Before the construction of Pakyong Airport, Sikkim had been the sole state in India possessing no functional airport.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Mohol flags off flight to Goa from refurbished Solapur airport, cites CM's financial support for Mumbai flight
Kolhapur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has approved viability gap funding for airline operators to launch commercially viable Solapur-Mumbai flight services, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said on Monday after flagging off the Solapur-Goa flight from the refurbished Hotagi Road airport after a 15-year hiatus. CM Fadnavis was slated to be the chief guest for the event. The authorities, however, said his Mumbai-Solapur flight did not take off because of poor visibility. The Goa-based airline will operate flights on four days a week — Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — from the airport. The flight took off from Goa's Mopa Airport, landed at Solapur and then took off back to Goa. "Starting commercial flight service from Solapur airport was long due. We refurbished the airport through the UDAN Scheme. Now, we look to develop more facilities like night landing and runway extension at the airport. We also plan to start service to Tirupati and Hyderabad. The CM has approved viability gap funding to operate flights between Solapur and Mumbai, which will start over the next two months," Mohol said. Viability gap funding is a financial support mechanism provided by govt to airlines to ensure affordable air travel, particularly on regional routes. It helps cover the gap between the cost of airline operations and the expected revenue on such routes, making regional air connectivity more accessible. The UDAN Scheme utilises viability gap funding as a key component, with govt compensating airlines for losses due to low fares. "Before 2014, there were only 74 airports across the country, which have increased to 161 now. The aviation industry has been revolutionised under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have centres of worship in Solapur, such as Pandharpur and Tuljapur. Connecting these places via air helps grow trade and tourism," Mohol added.
