New Delhi, March 26 -- The Union cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a revamped regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN, with an outlay of Rs.28,840 crore for 10 years for development of airports and airstrips, and boost connectivity. Airlines will be provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs.10,043 crore over the period to operate UDAN routes. The scheme, to run from FY27 to FY36, will focus on underserved and unserved regions, the government said. The modified scheme includes development of aerodromes, their operations and maintenance (O&M), creation of modern helipads, and continued VGF support. The government plans to develop 100 airports from existing unserved airstrips, with an outlay of Rs.12,159 crore over the next eight years. To address high operating costs and limited revenues at regional airports, the scheme proposes O&M support for three years - capped at Rs.3.06 crore annually per airport and Rs.0.90 crore per heliport or water aerodrome - at an estimated Rs.2,577 crore for around 441 facilities. To improve last-mile connectivity in remote and hilly regions, 200 modern helipads will be developed at a cost of Rs.15 crore each, amounting to Rs.3,661 crore....