The maiden flight from Delhi to Pathankot was inaugurated at a function at Terminal 3, IGI Airport, New Delhi by Sh. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation in the presence of Sh. Vijay Sampla, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, here today. With this, Pathankot now gets operationalized as the 21st Airport under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) – RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme). Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the implementing agency of UDAN.Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, commenced operations on the Delhi-Pathankot route today with ATR aircraft. The flight from Delhi to Pathankot will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, departing Delhi at 0955 Hrs. and arriving at Pathankot at 1130 Hrs. On its return from Pathankot, the flight will depart at 1150 Hrs. and arrive at Delhi at 1335 Hrs. With the introduction of this flight the travel time between the two cities will reduce significantlyThis will be the 19th route operated by Alliance Air under UDAN. The Scheme was launched on 27th April 2017 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister when the first UDAN flight, operated by Alliance Air, was flagged off on the Shimla – Delhi route.Alliance Air has been a front-runner in regional connectivity and presently operates a network of 49 stations. Alliance Air continues to focus on new routes to connect regional destinations. The airline has been awarded 18 new routes under UDAN-II, which are being launched progressively this year bringing new destinations on India’s air map.Through its codeshare with Air India, Alliance Air not only provides regional connectivity within the country but also offers seamless connectivity to regional passengers on Air India’s network in India and abroad.