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An Airbus C295 landed on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh as part of a takeoff and landing practice conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on April 22.

The exercise was organised to assess the expressway’s potential as an alternative runway during times of war or national emergencies, reports said.

The landing exercise was part of an effort to evaluate whether the expressway could serve as a backup runway.

As part of the Emergency Landing Field activation drill, Indian Air Force fighter aircraft also performed a flypast over the airstrip section of the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur.

The Airbus C295 has the capacity to transport up to eight tonnes of cargo or roughly 70 personnel, and can cruise at speeds of up to 260 knots, a ToI report said.It can be adapted for air-to-air refuelling operations involving both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Featuring retractable landing gear and a 12.69-metre pressurised cabin, the aircraft is capable of flying at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet.

Designed for versatility, it can execute short take-offs and landings on unpaved, soft or grassy surfaces. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines, enabling missions lasting as long as 13 hours. This engine model has been deployed on more than 6,000 aircraft worldwide, accumulating over 160 million flight hours.

The latest version of the Airbus C295 is equipped with winglets that enhance performance across various stages of flight, including take-off from high-altitude locations, cruising efficiency and overall endurance, while also lowering fuel consumption by approximately three to six per cent.

Beyond military use, the C295 is widely deployed for humanitarian operations such as disaster relief, search and rescue missions, and surveillance tasks including tracking illegal immigration, drug trafficking, piracy and deforestation, as well as monitoring marine pollution. Its short take-off and landing capability, combined with its ability to operate from unprepared strips, makes it particularly suitable for supply missions in remote regions.


With Times of India inputs