On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) activated an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) airstrip located on National Highway 16 near Addanki in Andhra Pradesh's Bapatla district.

The 4.1 km long and 33-m wide concrete airstrip has been constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as per specifications provided by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“While other airstrips are already operational in various parts of the country, this ELF in Andhra Pradesh has been recently operationalized in peninsular India,” the IAF said.

On March 18, the IAF’s fighter and transport aircraft “carried out operations on an ELF airstrip on national highway-16 near Addanki in Bapatla district,” the official said.

“Su-30 and Hawk fighters successfully carried out overshoots during the activation, while An-32 and Dornier transport aircraft landed and subsequently took off from the strip,” the IAF said.

The activation showcased the high level of synergy and liaison between civil agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), district administration, state police, and the IAF towards the conduct of complex multifaceted activities.

According to the Air Force, the ELF highway airstrips enhance the versatility of air operations during emergencies and are particularly advantageous during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in remote areas.

Apart from the Andhra Pradesh ELF, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are the two states where ELFs are currently operational. 

The IAF and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are working towards establishing similar landing facilities across the nation.

The authorities have identified 28 locations nationwide for the construction of ELF airstrips. This includes five in Assam, four in West Bengal, three each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, two each in Bihar, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu, and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

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