Varanasi hub-and-spoke operations launched 25.06.2026

The question asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to detail steps taken for aviation infrastructure development, including hub strategies, UDAN scheme connectivity, airport privatization, MRO sector growth, and heliport development in Himachal Pradesh.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Ms Kangna Ranaut; Answered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Minister Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu).

What the government said

• Hub & Spoke operations launched on 25.06.2026 with Varanasi as spoke and Delhi as hub.
• Noida International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport operationalised as second airports.
• 679 RCS routes connecting 95 unserved/underserved airports (including 17 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) operationalized under UDAN since inception.
• 'In-principle' approval taken up for leasing of 11 AAI airports under the National Monetisation Pipeline.
• 100% FDI permitted in Greenfield and Brownfield airport projects.
• 'In-principle' approval granted for Greenfield airports at Kannur, Durgapur, Mopa, Navi Mumbai, Bhogapuram, and Noida (Jewar).
• MRO Guidelines (2021) abolished royalties and allow 15-year lease extensions.
• GST on MRO reduced from 18% to 5% with full Input Tax Credit.
• Nil Basic Customs Duty (BCD) provided for aircraft components in Union Budget 2026-27.
• Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) set up in Hyderabad with an initial investment of Rs. 1,300 crore.
• Five heliports operationalized under UDAN 5.1: Champawat, Munsyari, Bageshwar (Uttarakhand), and Reckong Peo, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

Also in the document

• The answer does not provide specific numerical targets for passenger and cargo handling capacity by 2030, stating instead that upgradation is a continuous process dependent on various factors.
• The answer does not explicitly mention heliports in Lahaul-Spiti or Kinnaur, listing only Reckong Peo and Shimla (Sanjoli) for Himachal Pradesh under UDAN 5.1.