Major scheduled airlines stole the show in the second round of bidding for the regional connectivity scheme, winning 41 out of 67 bids. Fifteen operators will operate on 502 routes and connect 70 airports and heliports, most of which are not well connected by airlines now.

Operators include IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, state-owned Alliance Air and helicopter company Pawan Hans. Alliance Air won four bids and Pawan Hans 11. “The biggest outcome of this round of bidding is that UDAN is slowly moving towards becoming a scheme that is not dependent on subsidy and one that ...