IAF IL-76MD achieves highest-altitude landing at Nyoma airbase

An Indian Air Force IL-76MD heavy transport aircraft has successfully landed at the Nyoma airbase in eastern Ladakh, achieving the highest-altitude landing ever recorded by the aircraft type, the IAF said on 7 November. The base, located at about 13,000 ft and roughly 25 km from the Line of Actual Control with China, is among the highest fighter-capable airfields in the world. The IAF described the touchdown as ‘a milestone that reinforces India’s strategic airlift capability’. TV9 Hindi reported the exact altitude at 13,629 ft, while Times of India put it at 13,700 ft.

Nyoma was originally built as an advanced landing ground during the 1962 war and was formally inaugurated as a full base on 12 November 2025 by the then air chief. The base’s 3-km runway can handle fighters and heavy transports, cutting deployment time to the border compared with the more distant Leh and Thoise bases. The IAF said the operation demonstrated the aircraft’s enduring capability and the skill of its crew.

Update, 7 November 2026: Times of India adds that the airbase sits at 13,700 ft and was originally built during the 1962 war. It dates the base’s revival to an An-32 landing in 2009, a Rs 214 crore upgrade bid by the Border Roads Organisation in December 2022, and formal inauguration by the air chief on 12 November 2025. The report also notes that Daulat Beg Oldie remains the highest advanced landing ground but is not IL-76-capable.