Every now and then, we see flyers complaining about exorbitant rates of water, coffee, and tea at airports across the country. However, to ease the burden on flyers, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, has taken a significant step by introducing the ‘Udaan Café’ initiative under the vision of ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik’.
Starting Monday, April 28, 2025, Pune International Airport started its own ‘Udaan Café’, offering passengers affordable refreshments with tea and water priced at just ₹10, and coffee, samosas, and sweets at ₹20.
The initiative, which has already received an overwhelming response at Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Chennai airports, aims to make air travel more comfortable and pocket-friendly for the common man.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation previously launched the ‘Udaan’ (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme with the goal of making air travel accessible to the average citizen. Although the scheme significantly boosted air travel from smaller, non-metro cities, high food and beverage costs at airports continued to discourage cost-conscious travelers. For many frequent flyers, the inflated prices at terminal food outlets meant skipping meals or refreshments altogether.
