The Indian Air Force has landed an IL-76MD heavy-lift transport aircraft at Nyoma airbase in eastern Ladakh, at an altitude of 13,629 feet — which the force describes as the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world.
The IAF announced the milestone in a post on X, calling it a remarkable demonstration of the aircraft’s enduring capability and crediting the skill, precision and professionalism of the crew.
Why Nyoma matters
Nyoma, also known as Mudh-Nyoma, sits on the Changthang plateau in eastern Ladakh, about 25 km from the Line of Actual Control with China. The airfield was built in 1962 as a mud-paved landing ground and stayed largely inactive for years before being upgraded into a full-fledged airbase, inaugurated in November 2025.
The IL-76MD, known as ‘Gajraj’ in the IAF, is a Russian-origin, four-engine strategic airlifter that carries about 40 tonnes of troops, vehicles and heavy cargo. At 13,629 feet, the air is roughly 40 per cent thinner than at sea level, which reduces engine efficiency and makes heavy aircraft operations far more demanding.
A boost to strategic airlift
The landing shows the IAF can now operate its heaviest Russian-built transport almost at the front line in eastern Ladakh, strengthening the movement of personnel, equipment and essential supplies to remote, high-altitude areas.
The record is specific to the aircraft type: lighter aircraft have landed higher, including a C-130J Super Hercules at Daulat Beg Oldi at 16,614 feet in 2013. Even so, putting an IL-76MD down at Nyoma marks a significant step in India’s tactical airlift capability along the China frontier.
Parliament has already heard questions about reported face-offs along the Line of Actual Control, and the government has announced major changes to military recruitment under the Agnipath scheme. The Nyoma landing adds a concrete capability milestone to the border debate.
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