India, April 13 -- Pune is set to receive a major boost in air connectivity under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, with three new flight routes expected to begin this May. These include a Solapur-Tirupati service via Pune and proposed direct connections to Mangalore and Bagdogra.

The expansion is part of a broader national push to strengthen regional connectivity by linking smaller and underserved airports, with the Centre planning an investment of around Rs.12,000 crore under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

The Solapur link will create two new sectors: Tirupati-Solapur-Pune and Pune-Solapur-Tirupati. The Bagdogra link is expected to improve access to the Northeast where smaller aircraft operations are required due to terrain...