EMERGENCY LANDING FACILITY (ELF) ACTIVATION AT SULTANPUR ON PURVANCHAL EXPRESSWAY

• An Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) is a dedicated airstrip built into a national highway/expressway enabling IAF fighter and transport aircraft to land/take-off when conventional runways are unavailable.
• The IAF activated an ELF on the Purvanchal Expressway, Sultanpur district (UP) on 22 April 2026, by day and night, with a wide fleet mix.
• UPSC relevance: civil-military fusion, dual-use infrastructure, internal security/defence preparedness, federal cooperation (Centre–State, IAF–UPEIDA).