Fly high for low: Airfares drop to Rs 150 on select routes under UDAN scheme

Travellers can now fly for as low as Rs 150 as the base airfare on the Lilabari to Tezpur route in Assam, enjoying a quick 50-minute journey under the regional air connectivity scheme, which includes numerous incentives for airlines. 

According to travel portal ixigo's analysis, there are 22 such affordable routes, where base airfares don't exceed Rs 1,000. The cheapest base fare identified is Rs 150 on the flight connecting Lilabari and Tezpur in Assam, operated by Alliance Air. 

While booking a ticket, there will be an additional convenience charge to the base fare. 

Broadly, the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) flight duration on these routes is around 50 minutes. 

This low-cost fare scheme applies mostly to the routes in the North East, with additional routes like Bengaluru-Salem and Cochin-Salem offering similar rates. 

Other notable base fares include Rs 400 for flights between Guwahati and Shillong and Rs 525 for Bengaluru to Salem trips. Prices are slightly higher for trips, such as Rs 999 for Guwahati-Pasighat and Rs 954 for Lilabari-Guwahati.

The scheme is known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) and was launched by the civil aviation ministry on October 21, 2016. It aims to enhance regional connectivity and make air travel affordable. 

As of March 31, 2024, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) reported that 559 routes have been operationalised under this initiative, offering benefits such as waived landing and parking fees.

UDAN was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016 with the objective of boosting regional air connectivity and making air travel more pocket-friendly. 

(with inputs from PTI)