Key facts
- The Indian Air Force said the IL-76MD touched down at Nyoma at 13,629 feet above sea level.
- The IAF called the landing the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world.
- Nyoma airbase lies in eastern Ladakh, around 25 km from the Line of Actual Control with China.
- The airbase became fully operational in November 2025 and has a runway of about 3 kilometers.
The Indian Air Force said an IL-76MD heavy-lift transport aircraft landed at Nyoma airbase in eastern Ladakh at 13,629 feet above sea level, which it described as the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world. The force announced the landing in a social media post on Saturday, November 7, 2026, and released video of the touchdown.
"13,629 FEET. A NEW HEIGHT IN AVIATION HISTORY," the Indian Air Force said in the post, adding that the landing was "a milestone that reinforces India's strategic airlift capability." The force credited the crew's "skill, precision, and professionalism."
Nyoma lies in eastern Ladakh, around 25 km from the Line of Actual Control with China, the de facto border between the two countries. India Today reported that the airbase became fully operational in November 2025 and that its roughly 3-kilometer runway was built to allow rapid movement of troops, equipment and supplies to the remote border region. India Today put the project budget at approximately Rs 214 crore.
The IL-76MD is a four-engine, Russian-origin turbofan military transport, also known as Ganjraj, according to The Star.