IAF fly past over Chennai's Marina Beach to be held on Oct 6

New Delhi: Over 70 aircraft will dazzle the sky over Marina beach on Sunday as the Indian Air Force is to undertake a spectacular fly past in Chennai, hoping to set a new record on the audience numbers.

The Air Force Day parade being held in Tamil Nadu capital this year, the IAF would carry out two aerial displays in the southern city. The first and the bigger of the two on Sunday involving 72 aircraft may have a viewership of 10-12 lakh, setting a record.

“Officials from Limca Book of Records will be present as we hope for a record of highest viewership for a military event,” said an IAF official here.

The flypast will involve frontline fighters like Rafale, Su-30, Tejas LCA and Jaguars as well as transport aircraft, trainers, helicopters and vintage planes. Indigenous aircraft trainer HTT 40 will also take part in the show.

Seven airfields in southern India – Sulur, Thanjavur, HAL airport in Bengaluru, Yelahanka, Arakkonam, Tambaram and Chennai - will be used to launch and recover the aircraft.

On the Air Force Day (Sept 8), an aerial display will be held at Air Force Station Tambaram involving less than 30 aircraft.

With the Air Force Day parade being shifted out of Delhi as per a government policy, the aerial display in the last two years were held at Chandigarh (2022) and Bhopal and Prayagraj (2023).