Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has said that the government is taking proactive steps to enhance security and vigilance mechanisms to effectively deal with the hoax call menace affecting flight operations. He said that the government is in consultation with stakeholders and that the Civil Aviation Ministry is looking to take legislative actions on hoax calls. He emphasized that the safety of passengers is the highest priority for the government. Addressing the media in New Delhi today, the Minister said, the government is planning to amend the Aircraft Security Rules and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, and is considering making hoax calls a cognizable offence.

On the completion of 8 years of the UDAN scheme, the Minister said, the government is envisioning to take the UDAN scheme forward for 10 years and planning to start 50 more airports or enhance the capacity of existing airports. He said that the RCS UDAN scheme has unlocked opportunities and new growth potential in the country. The Minister said that this scheme has brought new visitors, investors and development opportunities employing thousands of youngsters. Mr Naidu said that through this scheme, the government has connected remote regions where the possibility of having an airport or air travel was unimaginable. He said that over the last decade, the number of airports in the country has grown from 74 to 157. Mr Naidu added that 86 new airports have been broadened and more than two lakh 40 thousand UDAN flights were operationalised since the inception of the scheme. He said that a total of 601 RCS routes have been made in the country and this year has seen 84 routes go operational. The Minister said that the RCS UDAN scheme is just not a medium for transporting people from one place to another, but it is about aspirations, opportunities, and new growth potential that we are unlocking in this country.