17 hrs ago

Maharashtra Offers Airline Aid for Sindhudurg-Navi Mumbai Flights

Maharashtra wants to start direct flights between Navi Mumbai and Sindhudurg.

Sindhudurg is in the Konkan region and has beaches, forts and tourism destinations.

The state has invited airlines to apply to operate the route.

It will pay financial support for some seats so airlines are less likely to lose money.

The flights would be run under the government’s UDAN regional-connectivity program.

Ticket prices would have maximum proposed fares for the two directions.

Airlines would need to handle passenger services and sell discounted seats first.

They could be fined or lose support if flights are stopped for too long or too few passengers travel.

The plan is intended to improve tourism and commerce in the Konkan region.

Key facts

Scheme: Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN
Financial support: Maharashtra plans to provide 100% viability gap funding for specified RCS seats.
Proposed fare: Rs 3,580 from Navi Mumbai to Sindhudurg and Rs 3,735 for the return journey.
Support cap: Up to Rs 6,370 per seat.
Aircraft categories: Category-2 aircraft with 40 to 80 seats, or Category-3 aircraft with more than 80 seats.
Performance requirement: Operators maintaining less than 75% passenger turnout for two consecutive months may face VGF reductions or contract termination.
Disruption penalty: A penalty of Rs 1 lakh per operational day may apply if an aircraft remains grounded for more than two consecutive operational days without timely replacement.

freepressjournal.in · 17 hrs ago