UDAN is aimed at catering to the aspirations of the middle class and the neo-middle class: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the low-cost regional air connectivity scheme launched yesterday by him will benefit many small towns while catering to the middle class and the neo-middle class.

"Yes, this scheme is aimed at catering to the aspirations of the middle class and the neo-middle class," he tweeted.

Yes, this scheme is aimed at catering to the aspirations of the middle class and the neo-middle class. https://t.co/D02rEdIDgX — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2017

He was responding to a tweet by a follower who said the UDAN scheme was a remarkable step which can benefit especially the medium class families.

"UDAN is going to benefit so many small towns. It will make the aviation sector even more accessible," the Prime Minister said in response to a tweet by another follower who wrote, "A big relief for tier two cities."

UDAN is going to benefit so many small towns. It will make the aviation sector even more accessible. https://t.co/xNHtTuspov — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2017

The UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) seeks to popularise regional air travel on short sectors by capping fares at Rs 2,500 per hour.

Modi flagged off first such flight from Shimla to Delhi yesterday, with a fare of Rs 2,036 per seat.

"Earlier we used to believe that air travel was meant only for 'rajas' (kings) and 'maharajahs' (emperors). This is the thinking that we need to change," the Prime Minister had said yesterday.

"I want to see people who wear Hawaii chappal (rubber slippers) in a hawai jahaaz (aeroplane)," he had said after the launch.

The seating capacity of airlines under the UDAN scheme will range from 19 to 78 and 50 per cent of the seats in every flight will have a fare cap of Rs 2,500 per seat per hour.

The airline companies chosen are Airline Allied Services (Alliance Air), SpiceJet, Turbo Megha Airways, Air Deccan and Air Odisha.

The operations under the scheme are intended to provide air connectivity to un-served and remote routes with airfare being capped at Rs 2,500 for an hour`s journey of around 500 km, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

With Agency Inputs