Air Transport — the Fastest Mode
Air travel is the fastest, most comfortable and most prestigious mode of transport. It can cross very difficult terrains such as high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and long oceanic stretches with great ease.
Air transport is especially valuable for the north-eastern part of the country — a region of big rivers, dissected relief, dense forests, frequent floods and international frontiers — where surface transport is difficult. Air travel has made access to such areas much easier. Air transport in India was nationalised in 1953.
Helicopter Services and Regional Connectivity
Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. provides helicopter services to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for its off-shore operations, and to inaccessible areas and difficult terrains such as the north-eastern states and the interior parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) is a first-of-its-kind scheme globally, designed to jump-start the regional aviation market. The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN was conceived by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to promote regional connectivity by making air travel affordable for the common citizen, encouraging airlines to fly on regional and remote routes through enabling policies and incentives.
Questions and Answers
Q1. Why is air travel preferred in the north-eastern states? Ans. The north-east has big rivers, dissected relief, dense forests, frequent floods and international frontiers, which make surface transport very difficult. Air travel crosses these barriers quickly and easily, so it is preferred there.
Q2. What services does Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. provide? Ans. Pawan Hans provides helicopter services to ONGC for its off-shore operations and to inaccessible and difficult terrains such as the north-eastern states and the interiors of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Questions and Answers (continued)
Q3. What is the UDAN scheme, and what is its aim? Ans. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) is the Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Its aim is to make air travel affordable for the common citizen and to promote regional connectivity by encouraging airlines to fly on regional and remote routes.
Q4. State any two advantages of air transport. Ans. Air transport is the fastest mode and can cross difficult terrains — high mountains, deserts, dense forests and oceans — that other modes cannot easily reach.