India, May 1 -- LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh will create history on Friday when Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and transport aircraft will land and take-off during the day and night on the newly-built 3.5-km-long airstrip on the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, becoming the first state in the country to have night landing facility for fighter jets on an expressway.

The air show is being organized to assess the expressway's potential as an alternative runway during times of war or national emergencies. The exercise will be conducted in two phases - during the day and at night - to test the airstrip's night-landing capabilities, according to the UP government.

The exercise holds much significance in wake of heightened tension between India...