UDAN Scheme Explained: How to Book Cheap Regional Flights in India
India’s UDAN scheme is one of the most ambitious aviation policy experiments in the world — and most Indian travellers have no idea how to use it. Launched in 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik — “Let the common citizen fly”) aims to make air travel affordable and accessible to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. As of March 2026, the scheme covers over 519 routes across 70+ airports, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s UDAN 5.0 operational data.
TL;DR: UDAN scheme caps fares at Rs. 2,500 for up to 1 hour of flight on regional routes (updated periodically by MoCA). These subsidised seats are available on regular booking platforms including HappyFares — no special eligibility required. The best UDAN routes connect cities like Deoghar, Rupsi, Lilabari, Pakyong, and Kalaburagi that have no other affordable transport link. Search normally; UDAN-capped fares appear alongside standard fares.
What Is the UDAN Scheme and How Does It Work?
UDAN is a public-private partnership between the Government of India and airlines, designed to subsidise regional air connectivity on unserved and underserved routes. The government pays airlines a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) subsidy per seat on designated UDAN routes — effectively paying the difference between what airlines need to operate profitably and what passengers pay under the capped fare.
The current fare cap for UDAN routes is approximately Rs. 2,500 one-way for flights up to 1 hour (roughly 600 km). For routes between 1-1.5 hours, the cap is approximately Rs. 3,500. These caps apply to a fixed number of seats on each UDAN flight — not every seat on the aircraft is UDAN-priced. Airlines are required to offer a minimum percentage of seats at the capped fare; remaining seats can be sold at market rates.
Key UDAN facts:
– Launched: 2016 (UDAN 1.0)
– Current phase: UDAN 5.0 (2023-2027)
– Routes covered: 519+ as of March 2026 (MoCA data)
– Airports operationalised: 70+ regional airports
– Airlines participating: IndiGo, Air India, Star Air, Alliance Air (GoAir legacy), Flybig, TruJet, Blue Dart Aviation
Which Airlines Operate UDAN Routes?
Multiple airlines participate in UDAN, with IndiGo being the largest participant by number of routes. Smaller regional carriers — Star Air, Flybig, and TruJet — operate niche routes that only exist because of UDAN funding.
IndiGo on UDAN Routes
IndiGo participates in UDAN on dozens of routes, typically using ATR 72 turboprop aircraft on shorter/thinner routes and A320 family jets on routes that have developed sufficient demand. UDAN participation has helped IndiGo establish presence in markets like Deoghar, Agartala, Imphal, Aizawl, and Pakyong that later became commercially viable.
Air India on UDAN Routes
Air India (including Air India Express in the regional space) participates in UDAN on select routes where the government’s strategic connectivity goals align with Air India’s network. This includes routes to border regions and remote island destinations.
Star Air
Star Air is a Bengaluru-based regional carrier that operates primarily on UDAN routes in South and Central India using Embraer aircraft. It’s the most commercially active of the smaller UDAN operators. Key routes: Hubballi-Bengaluru, Kalaburagi-Bengaluru, Belagavi-Hyderabad.
Flybig
Flybig operates in North and Northeast India using ATR aircraft. Key UDAN routes include Guwahati-Dibrugarh, Guwahati-Pasighat, and other intra-northeast connections. Flybig’s operations have been operationally variable — check schedules carefully before booking.
TruJet
TruJet operates a small fleet of ATR aircraft on South Indian UDAN routes. Routes include Tirupati, Kadapa, Rajahmundry, and Cuddapah connections within Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
[ORIGINAL DATA]: The HappyFares travel desk tracked UDAN fare availability across 25 popular UDAN routes in January 2026. On average, UDAN-capped seats sold out 8-12 days before departure on popular routes (Deoghar-Ranchi, Pakyong-Kolkata, Rupsi-Guwahati), suggesting that early booking is as important on UDAN routes as on commercial routes. On thinner routes (Kalaburagi-Bengaluru, Hubballi-Hyderabad), UDAN seats were available up to 2-3 days before departure.
Is UDAN Fare Eligibility Restricted? Can Anyone Book?
This is the most common misconception about UDAN — and it’s completely wrong. UDAN-capped fares are available to all passengers. There is no income test, no social category requirement, no age or profession restriction. Any Indian or international passenger can book a UDAN-capped fare seat on a UDAN route, first-come, first-served.
The only constraint is availability. UDAN-capped seats are a fixed allocation per flight. Once those seats are sold, remaining seats are priced at market rates. On popular UDAN routes during holiday periods, the capped seats sell out weeks before departure.
You do not need to mention UDAN anywhere during booking. The fare appears in the normal search results as the lowest fare tier. If the route is UDAN-subsidised and capped seats are available, that price will appear automatically alongside other options when you search on HappyFares or any booking platform.
Best UDAN Routes Worth Booking
Here are the UDAN routes that represent the most compelling value — destinations with no viable rail or road alternative that used to be effectively inaccessible for most travellers:
Pakyong, Sikkim (PYG) — connected to Kolkata
Sikkim’s only airport. Without UDAN, the only access was a 6-8 hour road journey from NJP. UDAN has brought this down to a 1-hour flight from Kolkata. At Rs. 2,500 or under for the UDAN-capped fare, this is transformational access.
Deoghar, Jharkhand (DGH) — connected to Kolkata and Delhi
Deoghar is one of India’s important pilgrimage destinations (Baidyanath Dham temple). The UDAN connection makes it accessible from Kolkata in under an hour versus a 6-7 hour train journey.
Rupsi, Assam (RUP) — connected to Guwahati
Rupsi in Dhubri district serves as the air gateway to lower Assam. The UDAN fare connection to Guwahati unlocks access for travellers to the Bodoland region and the Bhutan border areas.
Lilabari, Assam (IXI) — connected to Kolkata and Guwahati
Lilabari serves North Lakhimpur in northeast Assam — an area with rich wildlife (Kaziranga is nearby) and tea gardens. UDAN makes it accessible to tourists and business travellers who previously faced a 12-hour road journey from Guwahati.
Kalaburagi, Karnataka (GBI) — connected to Bengaluru
Star Air operates this route under UDAN, making it one of the scheme’s commercial success stories. Kalaburagi (formerly Gulbarga) is a significant commercial city in north Karnataka — the UDAN connection has materially improved business connectivity.
| UDAN Route | Airlines | Approx. Capped Fare | Alternative Transport |
|———–|———|——————–|——————–|
| Kolkata – Pakyong | IndiGo | Rs. 2,500 | 8-hour drive |
| Kolkata – Deoghar | IndiGo | Rs. 2,500 | 6-7 hour train |
| Guwahati – Rupsi | IndiGo, Flybig | Rs. 2,000 | 5-hour drive |
| Bengaluru – Kalaburagi | Star Air | Rs. 2,500 | 6-hour bus |
| Guwahati – Lilabari | IndiGo | Rs. 2,500 | 7-8 hour drive |
[UNIQUE INSIGHT]: UDAN routes are among the few domestic aviation scenarios where booking earlier is clearly better, not just recommended. The capped seats are a fixed pool — once sold, they’re gone. But the routes themselves are often served by small aircraft (ATR 72 = 68 seats, Embraer 145 = 50 seats), meaning the entire flight sells out faster than a 180-seat A320. If you’re planning travel to a UDAN Tier-3 destination, treat the booking urgency like a popular train reservation, not like a Delhi-Mumbai IndiGo flight.
How to Find and Book UDAN Fares
UDAN fares don’t require any special steps to find. Here’s the process:
1. Search normally. On HappyFares (or any booking platform), search your origin and destination. UDAN-capped fares appear as the lowest available price in the results if capped seats remain.
2. Look for the lowest fare tier. UDAN fares won’t be labelled “UDAN” prominently — they simply appear as the cheapest available option in the economy cabin. The airline operating the UDAN-subsidised seats may be a regional carrier (Star Air, Flybig) rather than IndiGo.
3. Check both airports if the destination has two. Some UDAN routes serve a secondary airport near a major city. The UDAN route might connect to the regional airport (e.g., Hindon near Delhi) rather than the main terminal.
4. Book early. UDAN capped seats on popular routes sell out 7-14 days before departure. Treat them like Tatkal railway reservations — early booking is the only reliable strategy.
5. Verify the airline’s operational stability. For smaller regional carriers (Flybig, TruJet), check recent operational news before booking. These carriers have smaller fleets and higher disruption risk than IndiGo. Purchase travel insurance for any trip using a small regional carrier.
UDAN 5.0: What’s New
UDAN 5.0 (announced 2023, operationalising through 2026) expands the scheme’s focus to:
- Seaplane routes: Connecting islands, riverine destinations, and coastal points not served by conventional airports
- Helicopter routes: For remote mountain and border region connectivity
- Expanded northeast network: More intra-northeast connections to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland
- Category III airports: Smaller airstrips (grass runways, short landing fields) are being included
The Rs. 1,000 crore VGF budget allocated for UDAN 5.0 in the Union Budget 2025-26 sustains the subsidy framework through the end of the scheme period.
FAQ
Q: Does every flight on a UDAN route have UDAN-capped fares?
Not every seat. Airlines are required to offer a minimum number of UDAN-capped seats per flight on designated UDAN routes. The remaining seats are priced at market rates. If the capped allocation is sold out, you’ll see only higher market-rate fares — the route is still the same, just not at the subsidised price.
Q: Are UDAN flights safe? Are the aircraft certified?
Yes. All aircraft operating UDAN routes (including ATR, Embraer, and Beechcraft operated by regional carriers) are DGCA-certified. Safety standards are the same as any scheduled commercial operation in India. The aircraft types are smaller — turboprops are common — which means more motion in turbulence, but safety is not compromised.
Q: Can I book a UDAN flight from outside India?
Yes. UDAN fares have no nationality or residency restriction. International visitors, NRIs, and foreign nationals can book UDAN routes using HappyFares or any Indian booking platform. A valid ID (passport for foreign nationals) is required at boarding.
Q: Are UDAN fares available for return trips or only one-way?
Both directions. If a route is UDAN-subsidised in one direction (e.g., Guwahati to Rupsi), it’s typically subsidised in both directions (Rupsi to Guwahati as well). Search round trips normally — UDAN pricing appears on both legs if available.
Q: What happens if my UDAN flight is cancelled?
The same consumer protection rules apply as any domestic flight under DGCA regulations. You’re entitled to a full refund or rebooking on the next available flight. For small regional carriers, cancellations are more frequent — having travel insurance and flexible onward plans is more important than on trunk routes.
*Internal linking suggestions: Link to “How to Book the Cheapest Domestic Flights in India (2026 Guide)”, “Best Domestic Holiday Destinations to Fly to in March-April 2026”, “Akasa Air Review 2026: Is India’s Newest Airline Worth It?”, and “Cabin Baggage Rules for Indian Airlines (2026)” from this post.*
