India: altitude record for the heavy Il-76MD transport at an air base near the Chinese border

A heavy Il-76MD transport of the Indian Air Force landed at the Nyoma air base in eastern Ladakh, at an altitude of 13,629 feet, or about 4,154 metres. In a post on Saturday, November 7, the Indian Air Force calls it the highest landing ever made by an aircraft of this type anywhere in the world.

“A new height in aviation history,” the announcement reads, attributing the feat to the skill, precision and professionalism of the crew and to the aircraft’s long-standing capabilities. The air force links it directly to the country’s “strategic airlift capability.” The post is accompanied by photos and video in which the four-engine transport is seen on the runway against the mountains of Ladakh.

The record concerns this particular aircraft type. The Indian Air Force itself has landed a lighter transport even higher: on August 20, 2013, a C-130J-30 Super Hercules landed at Daulat Beg Oldi, in the Aksai Chin region, at 16,614 feet (5,065 metres). The difference matters, however, because the Il-76 is a much heavier aircraft. At Ladakh’s high altitudes operations require a longer runway or a reduced load, and winter temperatures fall below minus 40 degrees.

A base next to the Line of Actual Control

The choice of Nyoma is no accident. The base, also known as Mudh, lies a few dozen kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates Indian from Chinese forces in the Himalayas. It began in 1962 as an advanced landing ground (ALG), was reactivated in 2008 with an An-32 and, after the 2020 confrontation with China, was turned into a full air base, with an asphalted runway of about 2.7 kilometres, hangars and a control tower. The base, which cost 2.18 billion rupees, began operating in November 2025, when the then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, landed there in a C-130J.

The ability for heavy transports to reach Nyoma directly shortens the time needed to move troops and heavy equipment to eastern Ladakh, where the mountain passes are closed by snow. India is steadily strengthening its infrastructure and assets in the region, and in October its defence ministry approved procurement worth 2.12 trillion rupees, with drones, counter-drone systems and helicopters.

The announcement comes days after a change of leadership in the Indian Air Force. Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over on October 31 as its 29th chief and on November 7 visited a forward air base to celebrate Diwali with personnel. The Indian Air Force also recently hosted the multinational exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, with the participation of US F-35s.