Modi makes historic landing at Assam highway airstrip
Dibrugarh : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Northeast's first Emergency Landing Facility in Assam, boosting regional defense and disaster response capabilities.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Northeast India, located in Assam's Dibrugarh district.
The Rs 100-crore ELF is a 4.2-km reinforced stretch on National Highway-37, designed for both civil and military use.
The facility will serve as a strategic runway for IAF fighter jets and transport aircraft, enhancing defense capabilities and disaster response.
The ELF can act as an alternative to Dibrugarh airport during emergencies, improving regional connectivity and security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a historic landing at the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) of the northeast aboard the C-130J aircraft in Assam's Dibrugarh district.
Modi had taken off from the Chabua airfield after his arrival, and landed at the ELF in Moran on a stretch of National Highway-37.
The Rs 100-crore ELF, a 4.2-km reinforced stretch on the Moran Bypass, which was inaugurated by the PM, will act as a strategic and multi-functional runway for Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft, strengthening defence, logistics and disaster response, officials said.
The facility is designed for both civil and military use, serving as an alternative to the Dibrugarh airport in case of emergency, they said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Air Chief Marshal A P Singh were also present on the occasion.
The ELF has been specially designed and constructed in coordination with the IAF to support the landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft, they said.
It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of personnel for rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast.
Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight.
India's first ELF was inaugurated in 2021 in Rajasthan's Barmer district.
From fighter jets to transport helicopters, Indian Air Force aircraft engaged for emergency situations and responses will put up an aerial show at the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam's Dibrugarh district, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The Sukhoi-30, Rafale and helicopters of the IAF will land and take off from the ELF, or participate in a fly-past on the occasion, officials said.
Modi will land at the 4.2 km ELF on the Moran Bypass, the first-of-its-kind in the northeast region, aboard a C-130J aircraft of the IAF from the Chabua base.
After formally inaugurating the facility, he will witness the nearly 40-minute special air display from a viewing gallery, they said.
People have been lining up behind barricades since Saturday morning to get a glimpse of the PM and the aerial show.
The An-32, dubbed the 'workhorse' of the IAF and designed for both cargo and passengers, will also feature in the aerial display.
Special Heli-Borne Operations and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) by Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), crucial for surveillance, search and rescue, medical evacuation and food airdrops in inaccessible and remote areas, will also be performed during the aerial show, the officials said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier that it will be the first such 'elaborate' exercise at an ELF, with around 16 aircraft participating.
The ELF, developed at a project cost of nearly Rs 100 crore, has been specially designed and constructed in coordination with the IAF to support landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during emergencies, an official statement said.
