IAF jets to land on Ganga Expressway in UP today

BAREILLY/LUCKNOW: Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets will land for the first time on an airstrip built on the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur on Friday, as part of a major exercise. Rafale, Mirage and Jaguar aircraft will touch down during a daytime air show and a night landing drill, with extensive preparations and traffic curbs in place.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state finance minister Suresh Khanna, minister of state for cooperation JPS Rathore, elected representatives and senior Air Force officials are expected to attend the event, where the IAF will showcase its operational capability on the newly built airstrip near Piru village in the Jalalabad area. The Katra-Jalalabad route will remain closed from 7pm to 10pm for the night segment. An air show will be held from 9:45am to 10:30am, following a full dress rehearsal at 8am.
The 3.2-km stretch of the expressway, developed by the UPEIDA, has been specially reinforced for emergency landings. The 594-km greenfield expressway is set to connect Meerut to Prayagraj and is designed to support IAF aircraft during wartime or natural disasters.
Shahjahanpur DM Dharmendra Pratap Singh and SP Rajesh Dwivedi inspected the site several times in the lead-up to the event. Singh directed officials to ensure proper CCTV coverage, dust control through water sprinkling, and seating arrangements for schoolchildren. He also stressed the need for effective stray cattle management.
Over 250 cameras have been installed to monitor the site, and lighting arrangements are in place to support the night landings. Singh confirmed that diversions would be implemented due to the road closure and urged the public to use alternate routes.
A German hanger has been constructed with seating for 200 to 250 people, including scout guides, NCC cadets, and workers involved in building the airstrip.
With this, the Ganga Expressway joins the list of Uttar Pradesh expressways equipped with airstrips, following the Agra-Lucknow Expressway (Unnao), Purvanchal Expressway (Sultanpur), and Bundelkhand Expressway (near Etawah), all established as emergency alternative runways.