Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to land on a newly developed highway Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam’s Dibrugarh district on Saturday, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) set to conduct a large-scale airshow to mark the commissioning of the strategic strip. The announcement was made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who described the event as a significant milestone in defence preparedness and infrastructure development.

According to the state government, this will be one of the first major public demonstrations of operational capability at the Moran Emergency Landing Facility, constructed as part of a national highway project in coordination with the IAF.

The Prime Minister’s visit will also include multiple inaugurations and public programmes in Guwahati as part of his day-long trip to the state.

Landing planned at Moran Emergency Landing Facility

As per the schedule shared by the Assam Chief Minister, Prime Minister Modi will travel from New Delhi to Chabua Air Force Base on Saturday morning. From there, he will proceed by aircraft to the Moran ELF in Dibrugarh district and land directly on the highway airstrip.

The Moran ELF has been developed along a 4.2-km stretch of the national highway between Moran and Demow under the Dibrugarh–Moran National Highway project. Such facilities are specially designed stretches of highways that can function as emergency runways for military and select civilian aircraft during contingencies.

Officials said the ELF is intended to strengthen operational flexibility for the armed forces, especially in the strategically sensitive northeastern region.

Mega IAF airshow with fighter aircraft

To mark the opening of the facility, the Indian Air Force will conduct a coordinated airshow lasting about 30 minutes. Around 16 aircraft are expected to participate in the aerial exercise.

According to the Chief Minister, the airshow will feature frontline fighter platforms including Rafale and Sukhoi jets, along with other IAF aircraft. Some of the participating aircraft are expected to perform low passes and simulated approaches, while several are also scheduled to land on the highway strip.

State authorities described the event as the first such elaborate and high-visibility exercise conducted at an Emergency Landing Facility in the region. Security agencies and defence officials are overseeing arrangements for the demonstration.

Strategic and disaster response value

The Assam government has emphasised that the Moran ELF is not only important from a defence standpoint but also valuable for disaster response and emergency logistics.

Highway landing strips allow rapid deployment of aircraft closer to remote or vulnerable areas when conventional air bases are unavailable or congested. In disaster scenarios such as floods or earthquakes — which frequently affect parts of the Northeast — such facilities can support relief operations, medical evacuation, and rapid transport of supplies.

Officials said the project was executed with technical inputs from the IAF to ensure required load-bearing strength, strip width, approach clearance, and safety margins.

Multiple inaugurations in Guwahati

After the landing event and airshow in Dibrugarh district, the Prime Minister will proceed to Guwahati for the next leg of his visit.

According to the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a newly constructed bridge over the Brahmaputra River. He is also expected to spend time walking on the bridge, which state officials have described as a major engineering project executed by government engineers.

From the Lachit Ghat area nearby, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the temporary campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati and launch an AI-enabled hyperscale data centre project announced earlier at a state investment summit.

In addition, 100 electric buses for Guwahati city public transport are scheduled to be flagged off as part of the push towards cleaner urban mobility.

Political programme also scheduled

Apart from infrastructure inaugurations, the Prime Minister will also attend a BJP Booth Sanmilan at Khanapara field in Guwahati later in the day. Party leaders expect a gathering of around 1 lakh booth-level workers at the event.

This will be the Prime Minister’s third visit to Assam in about three months, amid preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections expected in the March–April window. State officials said elaborate security and traffic arrangements are being put in place across all venues connected to the visit.

Conclusion

The commissioning of the Moran highway Emergency Landing Facility with a Prime Ministerial landing and IAF airshow marks a significant development in Assam’s strategic infrastructure. Along with defence preparedness, the visit will also spotlight major transport, education, technology, and public mobility projects in Guwahati, underscoring the Centre and state’s focus on the Northeast.