Dibrugarh (Assam): In a significant push to India’s strategic and transport infrastructure, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Northeast’s first highway-based Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran Bypass in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. The project is being seen as a major boost to both national security preparedness and regional connectivity.
Historic Landing Marks Strategic Milestone
Launching his day-long Assam visit on a high note, the Prime Minister himself landed at the newly built Emergency Landing Facility — a move that highlighted the operational readiness of the dual-use infrastructure. Developed along a national highway in close coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF), the facility strengthens India’s rapid-response capability in the strategically sensitive Northeast.
PM Inaugurates Northeast’s First Emergency Landing Facility In Assam’s Moran
On Panel with @VishnuNDTV: @rhinohistorian, @sanjeev__kapoor, @Chellaney, pic.twitter.com/T6QhDWcCxl
— NDTV (@ndtv) February 14, 2026
IAF Air Show Showcases Combat Readiness
The inauguration was followed by a spectacular aerial display by the Indian Air Force. Frontline platforms including Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas fighter jets, AN-32 transport aircraft and Advanced Light Helicopters demonstrated take-offs and manoeuvres, underlining the ELF’s capability to support diverse military operations.
History was created at Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh with the inauguration of Northeast India’s first state-of-the-art Emergency Landing Facility.
Today, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi dedicated the facility to the nation in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr.… pic.twitter.com/ozvXwxtnhp
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) February 14, 2026
Why the Emergency Landing Facility Matters
The Moran ELF is the first such facility in Northeast India designed for both military and civilian emergency use. Its key benefits include:
- Enhanced national security: Provides an alternative runway for fighter jets and transport aircraft during emergencies or conflicts.
- Disaster response readiness: Enables faster air operations during floods, earthquakes or other natural calamities common in the Northeast.
- Strategic depth in the Northeast: Strengthens India’s air mobility near sensitive international borders.
- Dual-use infrastructure: Can support civilian aircraft in emergencies, improving overall aviation resilience.
- Cost-effective innovation: Utilises existing highway infrastructure, reducing the need for new airstrip construction.
Officials say such highway landing facilities are critical force multipliers for the armed forces.
From Dibrugarh to Guwahati: Big Development Push
After the Dibrugarh programme, the Prime Minister departed for Guwahati, where he is set to inaugurate and launch projects worth over ₹5,450 crore.
The headline project is the ₹3,000-crore Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the Brahmaputra, which will improve connectivity between Guwahati and North Guwahati and ease regional traffic movement.
Boost for Education, Data and Green Mobility
During his Guwahati visit, Modi will also:
- Virtually inaugurate the temporary campus of IIM Guwahati
- Launch the National Data Centre for the Northeast at Amingaon
- Flag off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa scheme
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- 100 for Guwahati
- 50 each for Nagpur and Bhavnagar
- 25 for Chandigarh
The e-bus rollout is expected to strengthen clean urban transport and reduce carbon emissions.
Political Outreach on the Agenda
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will address a Booth Sanmilan of BJP workers in Guwahati, adding a political dimension to a visit largely focused on infrastructure and strategic capacity-building.
The Moran Emergency Landing Facility is more than just a stretch of reinforced highway — it is a strategic asset that enhances India’s military agility, disaster response capability and infrastructure innovation in the Northeast.
