In a historic first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft landed at the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam’s Moran on Saturday morning, marking a major milestone in the state’s strategic and infrastructure development.
The specially designed stretch of national highway has been developed to enable Indian Air Force fighter jets to take off and land during emergencies. The Prime Minister inaugurated the facility by making the first landing on the 4.2-km stretch.
PM Modi arrived at the Emergency Landing Facility on the Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh from the Chabua airfield, where he had landed earlier in the day. He boarded an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft from Chabua to reach the facility, which has been built at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It is the first such infrastructure project in the Northeast.
The Prime Minister is on a day-long visit to poll-bound Assam, where he will also launch development projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore.
AIR FORCE'S MEGA AERIAL DISPLAY IN ASSAM
The Prime Minister also witnessed a 40-minute aerial display by the Indian Air Force, featuring fighter jets, transport aircraft, and helicopters.
As part of the exercise, fighter aircraft including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale jets operated from the Emergency Landing Facility.
The An-32, known as the ‘workhorse’ of the IAF and designed for both cargo and passenger transport, was also showcased during the display.
In addition, special heli-borne operations and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) demonstrations were carried out by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH). These helicopters play a crucial role in surveillance, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and food airdrops in remote and inaccessible areas.
The Air Force’s elite special forces unit, Garud Commandos, showcased their precision and lethal accuracy during the aerial display.
PM Modi was received at the Chabua airfield earlier in the day by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and other senior state government officials.
Following the event, the Prime Minister departed for Guwahati from the Emergency Landing Facility aboard a C-130J aircraft.