PM Modi makes historic touchdown on Assam's first emergency landing highway

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 in the poll-bound state 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 facility, which will strengthen defence, logistics and disaster response in the region, has been designed for both civil and military use, serving as an alternative to the Dibrugarh airport during emergencies.

The ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight.