The NITI Aayog has floated a request for proposal (RFP) to appoint a consultancy firm for evaluating the viability of UDAN (regional connectivity scheme) in the absence of viability gap funding.
This exercise is aimed at evaluating the relevance of the scheme and also if the scheme has benefitted passengers making air travel economical. “The focus of the desk research is to understand how VGF, including the NER (Northeast Region) can be improved and assess its effectiveness through a fiscal and economic lens,” the RFP document said.
The study will deploy the usage of qualitative consultations with stakeholders and passenger surveys. “On an average, 50 passengers in each selected RCS airport/heliport/ water aerodrome would be surveyed about their perceptions of RCS-UDAN scheme,” the RFP said.