Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots have created history by landing a transport aircraft at the world’s highest airfield located in Ladakh. The feat also bolstered strategic reach and deterrence, as the Nayoma airfield is located just 25 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
To explain the significance to the common person, the airbase sits at an altitude of more than 13,000 feet, where oxygen is scarce. In military terms, it means our troops deployed at the LAC now have assured all-weather logistical support, including an unhindered supply of weapons and ammunition, as well as other equipment.
The IAF described the landing as an enduring capability of the aircraft backed by the “exceptional skill, precision and professionalism” of its crew.
“An Indian Air Force IL-76MD has scripted history with a successful landing at Nyoma, marking the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world,” the IAF said on social media.
“A remarkable demonstration of the aircraft’s enduring capability, backed by the exceptional skill, precision, and professionalism of its crew,” it said. The IAF said the touchdown was a “milestone” that reinforces India’s strategic airlift capability.
The strategically significant air base, located at a height of 13,629 feet, was operationalised in November last year. The airbase can handle fighter jets, helicopters, and transport planes.
It was the fourth such air force base in Ladakh. The other three are located in Leh, Kargil, and Thoise. The Kargil airstrip is located at an altitude of around 10,500 feet.
The airbase is critical for India as it lies close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), near sensitive sectors such as Demchok and the south bank of the Pangong Tso. Leh is much farther from the border, which means longer deployment and reaction times. A forward airfield shortens both, speeds up the movement of troops and supplies, helps with emergency evacuations, and supports surveillance.
Its 3 km-long runway can handle fighters and heavy transports. The IAF’s airlift of over 68,000 troops, 90 tanks and 330 infantry combat vehicles during the Galwan crisis showed how much depends on moving men and material quickly.
During the 1962 war, the air force had airlifted men and material directly to Chushul, which lies closer to the LAC. The equipment airlifted then also included six AMX-13 tanks of 20 Lancers.
Nyoma was originally built as an advanced landing ground during the 1962 war and lay unused for decades. It was revived on September 18, 2009, when an An-32 landed there. In December 2022, the Border Roads Organisation invited bids to turn it into a full air base, with an estimated cost of Rs 214 crore, and work began in August 2023, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laying the foundation stone. On November 12, 2025, the then Air Chief Marshal AP Singh formally inaugurated the base by landing a C-130J Super Hercules there, making it the fourth IAF base in Ladakh after Leh, Kargil and Thoise.
Across the LAC, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has built an extensive network of high-altitude air bases across the Tibetan Plateau to strengthen its air operations. Operating at elevations from nearly 3,000 to over 4,300 metres, these facilities face challenges from thin air, which reduces aircraft lift and engine performance.
The defence ministry has been focusing on enhancing infrastructure at almost all airfields along the LAC, including the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) as per operational requirements.
It is also boosting infrastructure at Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in the Ladakh region.
The Daulat Beg Oldi ALG is located close to the LAC at an altitude of 16,700 feet and is known as the highest airfield in the world.
The IL-76MD is a four-engine heavy transport aircraft of Russian origin, designed to carry troops, equipment and cargo. It plays an important role in the Indian Air Force’s ability to transport personnel and essential supplies to remote and strategically important locations.
The achievement highlights the aircraft’s operational capabilities and the training and expertise of IAF personnel.