India

IAF IL‑76MD Sets Highest‑Altitude Landing Record at 13,629 ft in Ladakh

By Naseer Ganai

An Indian Air Force IL‑76MD transport aircraft landed at 13,629 feet in eastern Ladakh, establishing a world record for the highest‑altitude landing by a heavy‑lift plane. The landing, which took place at Nyoma airbase—just 25 km from the Line of Actual Control—was announced by the IAF on Saturday. The service described the event as a “remarkable demonstration of the aircraft’s enduring capability, backed by the exceptional skill, precision, and professionalism of its crew” and said it was a milestone that reinforces India’s strategic airlift capability.

The Soviet‑origin, four‑engine Ilyushin aircraft, inducted into the IAF in 1985 and nicknamed Gajraj, has long been used to airlift troops, T‑72 tanks, BMP infantry combat vehicles and disaster relief supplies across difficult terrain. Nyoma airbase had previously been an advanced landing ground used by tactical transport aircraft and helicopters. The airstrip had remained unused for decades after the 1962 India‑China war before the IAF reactivated it in September 2009. On 18 September that year, an AN‑32 became the first fixed‑wing aircraft to land on its compacted runway.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the airbase in September 2023. The upgrade, completed last year, turned Nyoma into a fully equipped airbase capable of handling fighter aircraft. The enhancement is expected to strengthen military logistics, improve connectivity to forward areas and accelerate the movement of troops and equipment along the China frontier.

The IAF had earlier reactivated two other airstrips in Ladakh—Daulat Beg Oldi at 16,614 feet in May 2008 and Fukche at 13,000 feet in November 2008.