Vijayawada International Airport Director M. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy. File | Photo credit: GN Rao
The Union Cabinet’s approval of the Modified Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN-(RCS) will make air travel more accessible, affordable and inclusive for the citizens of the country, Vijayawada International Airport Director M. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy said.
Speaking to the media at the Gannavaram airport grounds on Wednesday (April 1, 2026), Mr Reddy said the Viability Gap Funding Support has been extended from 3 to 5 years, which will help smaller airports like Kurnool and Kadapa in the state to achieve commercial viability.
The scheme will provide support to the operations and maintenance of the airports for a period of three years to address labor costs and ensure operational sustainability, which will also significantly help both airports, the director said.
The scheme is not intended to support larger airports and hence Vijayawada is not expected to derive much benefit from it.
Published – 02 Apr 2026 12:04 IST
