The under construction Ganga Expressway, situated near Piru village in Jalalabad subdivision of Shahjahanpur district of UP, becomes the first Expressway in the country to provide night landing facility for a fighter aircraft. A two-day long trial by the Indian Air Force began on the expressway on Friday. The 3.5-km-long airstrip had about 250 cameras installed for the air show.

Takeoff and landing trials of advanced fighter and transport aircraft, including Rafael, Jaguar and Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI and others, during the day and night time were conducted during the trial period. To secure the airstrip, the IAF has taken over operational control of the area in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Express Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). 

UP Expressways

The Ganga Expressway also became the fourth Expressway within the state to have an airstrip for fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Other expressways in the state have only daytime landing provisions. These include Unnao (Agra-Lucknow Expressway), Sultanpur (Poorvanchal Expressway) and near Etawah (Bundelkhand Expressway).

“Cutting edge aircraft, such as Rafael, Sukhoi 30 MKI, MiG-29….. and MI-17 helicopters took to the skies in an extraordinary showcase of combat readiness and disaster relief capabilities. The event featured practice flights and live demonstration, giving the audience a glimpse of the IAF’s advanced operational prowess,”  states the UP government.