New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday successfully conducted a trial of emergency aircraft landing on National Highway-16 near Pichikalagudipadu village, Bapatla Superintendent of Police (SP), Vakul Jindal, said.


The trial involved two transport aircraft, AN-32, and Dornier, aimed at bolstering the IAF's emergency preparedness to face any future exigency, the official said.


"The trial landing exercise has been completed successfully. Two transport aircraft, AN-32 and Dornier, landed," Jindal told PTI.






"IAF fighter and transport aircraft carried out practice flying including circuit, approach, and overshoot on newly constructed Emergency Landing Facility on NH-16 at Bapatla District in Andhra Pradesh on 29 Dec 22," Indian Air Force posted on platform X.





The 4.1 km-long emergency landing facility on NH-16 will be available as an option to land aircraft during wartime. The exercise was conducted twice within a span of two hours, from 11 am to 1 pm, during which Bapatla district police diverted traffic from 7:30 am to 1 pm to facilitate the operation.


In addition to the transport aircraft, several fighter jets, including a Sukhoi Su-30, flew over the facility without landing as part of the exercise, the SP said.