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UDAN helicopter routes in India: how heli connectivity works

UDAN helicopter routes are subsidised regional services that link hill, remote and North East towns through heliports. This guide explains how they are awarded, what the official numbers show and when a private helicopter charter is the better fit.

Private aviationBy AIR BITOLA8 min read

UDAN helicopter routes are scheduled regional helicopter services run under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), the Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Operators bid for routes to towns that have little or no air service, the government pays them viability gap funding (VGF) to keep fares low, and passengers buy seats much like on a small regional flight. Most of these routes serve hill states, the North East and other places where roads are slow and runways are hard to build.

In short: if a UDAN helicopter route already links the two places you need, it is usually the cheapest way to fly there by helicopter. If it does not, or you need your own timing, your own group or a site that is not on a UDAN route, a private helicopter charter from a DGCA-approved operator is the option. The rest of this guide explains how the scheme works, what the official figures say and how to tell which option suits a trip.

What UDAN is and where helicopters fit

UDAN was launched in October 2016 to make regional flying affordable and to connect unserved and underserved airports, according to the PIB factsheet marking ten years of the scheme. It is not only about aircraft. The same scheme covers heliports and water aerodromes, so a remote hill town can join the network through a helipad rather than a runway.

The RCS-UDAN Manual 2021 from the Ministry of Civil Aviation sets out the mechanics. The Airports Authority of India is the implementing agency. Both airline and helicopter operators can propose routes, and the manual notes that DGCA issued a heliport authorisation rule to make helicopter services under UDAN possible. Helicopter routes were given priority in earlier rounds, UDAN 2 and UDAN 4.1, before a helicopter-only round followed.

UDAN helicopter routes in numbers

The latest official figures do not give a separate running total for helicopter routes, so the clearest picture comes from a few dated official figures.

  • In a factsheet dated 20 October 2026, PIB reported 687 UDAN routes operationalised, more than 3.68 lakh flights and 1.72 crore passengers; the factsheet does not give a separate figure for helicopter routes (PIB factsheet).
  • The same factsheet lists 95 aerodromes operationalised under UDAN, including 17 heliports and 2 water aerodromes.
  • In the North East, 52 aerodromes including heliports and water aerodromes had been identified and 12 operationalised, with 90 priority routes running in the region.
  • When UDAN 5.1 was announced in May 2023, PIB said 46 helicopter routes had been operationalised in earlier rounds, mainly benefiting hilly and North East states (PIB, 24 May 2023).
  • Free Press Journal, reporting a Lok Sabha reply in July 2026, listed five heliports operationalised under UDAN 5.1: Champawat, Munsyari and Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, and Reckong Peo and Shimla (Sanjoli) in Himachal Pradesh (Free Press Journal).

Not every awarded route keeps flying. Business Standard reported in March 2026 that 925 UDAN routes had been awarded since launch, 663 were operationalised as of 28 February 2026, and 327 had been discontinued. That figure covers all UDAN routes, not helicopters alone, but it is a useful reminder to check that a route is still operating before planning around it.

How a helicopter route gets awarded

Under the 2021 manual, the ministry invites proposals from airline and helicopter operators for routes that are not connected. Bidding happens online in two stages: initial proposals, then counter proposals from other operators. The route goes to the bidder asking for the lowest VGF. The operator who first proposed it can match the winning bid if its own bid was within 10 percent.

The winner gets exclusive rights on the route for three years, after which VGF support ends and the route is expected to stand on its own. States that sign up support the scheme too. The manual lists commitments such as cutting VAT on aviation fuel at UDAN airports to 1 percent or less for ten years, giving land, providing security and fire services free of cost, and paying a share of the VGF: 20 percent for most states and 10 percent for North East states and union territories.

What a UDAN seat means on a helicopter

On a fixed-wing UDAN flight, only a share of seats are subsidised UDAN seats. Helicopters are treated differently. The 2021 manual says all passenger seats up to 13 on a helicopter count as UDAN seats. It set the reference fare cap at Rs 2,500 for a 30 minute helicopter journey, scaled for longer or shorter flights and indexed to inflation. UDAN 5.1 later cut helicopter fare caps by up to 25 percent, so the fare you see today depends on the route and the current cap. Always check the price on the operator's own booking page.

UDAN 5.1: the first helicopter-only round

In May 2023 the ministry launched UDAN 5.1 and said that, for the first time under UDAN, a round had been designed specifically for helicopter routes (PIB). Three changes stood out:

  • A route now qualifies if at least one end is in a priority area. Earlier, both the origin and the destination had to be in priority areas.
  • Airfare caps were reduced by as much as 25 percent to make helicopter travel more affordable.
  • VGF caps were raised substantially for both single engine and twin engine helicopters, to make awarded routes viable for operators.

Modified UDAN and the 200 helipad plan

The Union Cabinet approved the next phase of the scheme on 25 March 2026, and Modified UDAN was launched on 4 July 2026. According to the PIB document on Modified UDAN, it runs for ten years from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36 with a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore. The parts that matter most for helicopter travel are:

  • 200 modern helipads in priority regions with large connectivity gaps, at an estimated Rs 15 crore each and a projected outlay of Rs 3,661 crore over eight years.
  • Operations and maintenance support for heliports and water aerodromes, capped at Rs 0.90 crore per year for each one, for three years.
  • Two HAL Dhruv helicopters for Pawan Hans, to support flying in difficult terrain.
  • Rs 10,043 crore of VGF over ten years, with support for up to five years per route, tapering from the third year, and route exclusivity limited to three years.

The PIB document says the helipads are meant to improve access to healthcare, support emergency response and help administrative and economic activity. Business Standard described them as intended for hilly, remote, island and aspirational regions. These are plans with budgets attached, not finished heliports, so treat any specific location as confirmed only once the ministry or state announces it.

Heli Sewa: how landing approvals work

Helicopters can land at many places that are not airports, which is part of their appeal and part of the paperwork. The Ministry of Civil Aviation's Heli Sewa portal connects helicopter operators with district authorities. Operators file landing requests online, including at short notice for corporate, charter, VIP, medical and HEMS flights, and the ministry says permissions are meant to come within 48 hours instead of through physical paperwork.

The portal's FAQ is clear about who signs off on what. Only DGCA-approved operators with an air operator permit can log in to file requests. The operator needs permission from the owner of the landing site: a no objection certificate from the custodian for public land, or the landowner's consent for private property. The district administration only needs to be informed, and silence counts as tacit agreement unless it refuses, which it may do on law and order or public safety grounds. As a passenger you do not file anything yourself; your operator handles it.

Helicopter emergency medical services

Helicopters for medical emergencies sit alongside UDAN rather than inside it. In a Lok Sabha answer of 19 December 2024, the ministry said it had launched a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service called Sanjeevani on 29 October 2024 with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Government of Uttarakhand. It is a pilot based at AIIMS Rishikesh covering a 150 km radius, and in a later Lok Sabha answer of 27 March 2025 the government said the pilot is funded equally by the health ministry and Uttarakhand and that it had no other HEMS proposal at present. For private medical transfers, read our guide to how air ambulance works in India.

UDAN seat or private helicopter charter?

The two serve different needs. A UDAN helicopter service flies a fixed route on the operator's schedule, between designated heliports and airports, with seats sold one by one. A private charter flies where and when you want, subject to daylight, weather, landing permissions and the operator's approvals, and you pay for the whole helicopter.

  • Choose a UDAN seat when a route already links your two points, your timing matches the schedule and you are travelling alone or as a small group.
  • Choose a charter when there is no UDAN route, when you need to land at a private helipad, a wedding venue or a project site, or when the group and timing are fixed by you.
  • For a charter, confirm the operator holds a valid DGCA permit and that the helicopter is listed on it. Our charter operator directory shows each permit and its aircraft as DGCA lists them, for example Pawan Hans.
  • Read which helicopter types fly on Indian charter permits to understand seats and typical uses before you ask for a quote.

Helicopter flying in India is mostly limited to daylight and good visibility, which shapes both UDAN schedules and charter plans. BookAir explains this in its guide to helicopter charter, daylight and weather, and compares the options for short trips in helicopter or light jet for short sectors. When you are ready, you can request a private charter through AIR BITOLA, and keep an eye on empty legs for one way repositioning flights at lower prices.

A note on pilgrimage helicopters

Pilgrimage shuttles are a separate system. Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib shuttle tickets are sold on IRCTC Heliyatra, not through UDAN and not through private charter platforms. Charter requests made through AIR BITOLA are handled by BookAir, which arranges private charters only and does not sell shuttle seats. Our guide to helicopter travel for pilgrimages explains the official booking channels and safety points.

Checklist before you plan around a UDAN helicopter route

  • Confirm the route is currently operating with the operator, since some awarded UDAN routes have been discontinued.
  • Check the fare and baggage rules on the operator's own booking page, because fare caps change by round and are indexed to inflation.
  • Plan for weather. Hill routes are often delayed or cancelled when visibility drops.
  • Keep a backup by road for important days.
  • If you need a private charter instead, verify the operator on the AIR BITOLA directory before you pay.
Figures in this article are taken from the dated official documents and reports linked here, as on the dates stated. UDAN rules change from round to round, so check the Ministry of Civil Aviation and PIB for the latest position.

Common questions

What are UDAN helicopter routes?

They are regional helicopter services run under UDAN, the Ministry of Civil Aviation's Regional Connectivity Scheme. Operators win routes to unserved or underserved places by bidding for the lowest viability gap funding, and in return they sell seats at capped fares for a set period.

How many heliports are operational under UDAN?

A PIB factsheet dated 20 October 2026 said 95 aerodromes had been operationalised under UDAN, including 17 heliports and 2 water aerodromes.

What was UDAN 5.1?

UDAN 5.1, announced in May 2023, was the first UDAN round designed only for helicopter routes. It let a route qualify with at least one end in a priority area, cut helicopter fare caps by up to 25 percent and raised viability gap funding caps for single and twin engine helicopters.

How many helipads will Modified UDAN build?

Modified UDAN, launched on 4 July 2026, plans 200 modern helipads at an estimated Rs 15 crore each, with a projected outlay of Rs 3,661 crore over eight years, according to PIB.

What is the Heli Sewa portal?

Heli Sewa is a Ministry of Civil Aviation portal where DGCA-approved helicopter operators file landing requests online and inform district authorities. The ministry says it is meant to deliver landing permissions within 48 hours instead of through physical paperwork.

Can I book a private helicopter where there is no UDAN route?

Yes. A DGCA-approved charter operator can fly you to places UDAN does not serve, subject to weather, daylight and landing permission from the site owner. Check that the operator holds a valid permit and that the helicopter is listed on it before you pay.

Is the Kedarnath helicopter part of UDAN?

No. Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib shuttle tickets are sold on IRCTC Heliyatra. Private charter platforms do not sell those shuttle seats.

Sources

General information, checked against the sources above on the date published. It is not legal, regulatory or medical advice. Rules change, so confirm with DGCA or the relevant authority before acting.

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