GUWAHATI, Jan 8: The Northeast is set to get its first highway-based emergency landing strip, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing on Thursday that the facility on the Dibrugarh–Moran stretch of the National Highway will be inaugurated in February.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a welfare scheme seed-capital distribution programme at Khowang in Dibrugarh district, Sarma said the Centre is planning a high-profile inauguration for the advanced landing facility. He indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may inaugurate the project, and if not, efforts would be made to have Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attend the launch.
The emergency landing strip, being developed on a 4.2-kilometre stretch at Moran, is designed to handle both civilian aircraft and Indian Air Force fighter jets, including Sukhoi and Rafale platforms. The Chief Minister said the facility would serve as an alternative landing option in situations where aircraft are unable to land at Dibrugarh airport due to technical or operational reasons.
The project is being executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and will be the first such highway-based advanced landing facility in the Northeast. Sarma said the Centre has already approved two more similar emergency landing strips in Assam—one on the Boroma–Tihu stretch in lower Assam and another between Nagaon and Lumding at Sankardevnagar.
Once operational, the facility is expected to significantly enhance strategic and defence preparedness in the sensitive Northeast region, while also strengthening civil aviation emergency response capabilities. The Chief Minister added that the state government is also planning to develop helipads at regular intervals along major highways, particularly in flood-prone and highland areas, to improve disaster response and connectivity.
