Air Travel Gets More Affordable: Govt Announces Rs 3240 per Seat Subsidy

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): The Maharashtra government has given the gift of cheap and better air travel to the people of the state. In the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, an important proposal to give subsidy on Solapur-Mumbai and Solapur-Pune air routes has been approved. Under this decision, the government will give a subsidy of Rs 3240 for every seat on these routes, which will reduce the air fare considerably.

This scheme will be run on the lines of the central government's 'UDAN' scheme and will be applicable for one year at present. The direct benefit of this scheme will go to the airline company 'Star Air' which operates flights on these routes. This subsidy of Rs 3240 per seat given by the government, called Viability Gap Funding (VGF), will cover 100% of the operating cost of the service. The Maharashtra government has set a total budget of Rs 17.97 crore for this scheme.

As per the cabinet decision, after one year, Solapur airport will be included under the Centre's 'UDAN' scheme. After this, the state government will subsidise 20% of the travel fare as per the guidelines of the UDAN scheme and the existing VGF subsidy will end.

This decision will give people of Solapur and surrounding areas a faster and economical option to reach Mumbai and Pune. It is worth noting that under the Udan scheme in Maharashtra, flights are already operating successfully on many routes like Mumbai-Nanded, Nashik-Delhi, and Kolhapur-Hyderabad. These schemes have not only improved the air connectivity of small cities, but have also promoted tourism and employment.