Dibrugarh, Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday described the inauguration of the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) as a “paradigm shift” in India’s approach to securing its eastern frontier, linking the development to long-standing strategic concerns rooted in the 1962 war.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sarma said that as Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down on the Moran Emergency Landing Facility, built along the Dibrugarh–Moran Highway, it symbolised a decisive transformation in how Bharat is strengthening the North East Frontier. He noted that the region still carries the memories and “wounds of 1962,” underscoring the historical and strategic significance of the moment.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the state-of-the-art facility on the Moran Bypass in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, marking a major boost to the region’s defence and strategic infrastructure. Arriving in Upper Assam earlier in the day, Modi took off from the Chabua airfield aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft and landed directly on the newly constructed 4.2-kilometre reinforced highway strip along National Highway-37.
Developed at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore, the Emergency Landing Facility has been designed as a multi-functional runway capable of handling a wide range of Indian Air Force assets, including fighter jets and heavy transport aircraft. Officials said the facility can also serve civilian purposes, functioning as an alternative landing strip to the Dibrugarh airport during emergencies.
The ELF is expected to significantly enhance India’s defence preparedness in the Northeast, a region of high strategic importance due to its proximity to international borders. Beyond military readiness, the facility is aimed at streamlining logistics, improving rapid troop and equipment deployment, and strengthening disaster response mechanisms in a region prone to floods, earthquakes, and other natural calamities.
Following the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi witnessed an aerial demonstration that showcased the operational capability of the facility. The display featured fighter jets, transport aircraft, and helicopters operating from the highway strip. A Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet took off from the reinforced road runway, highlighting the strip’s readiness to support frontline combat aircraft.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, among other senior officials and defence personnel.
Strategic experts see the Moran Emergency Landing Facility as part of a broader push to upgrade infrastructure across the Northeast, integrating civilian highways with military requirements. Such facilities allow the Indian Air Force to disperse assets, reduce dependence on fixed airbases, and maintain operational flexibility during crises or conflicts.
For Assam and the wider Northeast, the project is being viewed not only as an infrastructure milestone but also as a strong signal of the Centre’s focus on national security, connectivity, and rapid response capabilities in a region that has long been central to India’s strategic calculations.
