<span style="color: #222222;">Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said, it is the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has democratized the country's air space through UDAN. Attending the Udan Utsav to commemorate the journey of UDAN as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav at Jharsuguda in Odisha today, he said that it was due to the emphasis of the PM on connectivity that the country has added as many as 62 new airports in a span of seven years taking the present total to 136.<br />''<br />'' AIR correspondent reports, The Union Minister said that the country has targeted to increase the number of airports in the country to 220 within the next five years. Speaking very high of Jharsuguda as the powerhouse of Odisha and a rich bed of natural resources, he cited the Jharsuguda airport as a brilliant example of cooperative federalism, with the Government of Odisha sharing the cost of the project and providing the required land. On the occasion, he flagged off the maiden udan flights between Shillong and Dimapur through the virtual mode. Besides interacting with the first-time flyers of UDAN through the virtual mode, the Minister also witnessed the exchange of partnership agreement between UDAN and Make My Trip. Results of UDAN logo competition and best UDAN airports and airlines were announced on the occasion.</span><br />