This Base was built in 1939. During World War II it was a major supply point for the ferrying of supplies to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's forces in and around Kunming, China. This was known as "Flying the Hump". The Japanese occupation of Burma in 1942 had cut off the Burma Road, the last land route by which the Allies could deliver aid to the Chinese Government of Chiang Kai-shek. Until the Burma Road could be retaken and the Ledo Road completed, the only supply route available was the costly and dangerous route for transport planes over the Himalayas between India's Assam Valley and Kunming, China. This route became known as the Himalayan Hump or simply The Hump. Operated initially by the United States Army Air Forces Ferrying Command China Ferrying Command. The 1st Ferrying Group operated three squadrons of C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando aircraft from Chabua. The airfield was also an important layover stop of the ATC Karachi-Kunming air transport route. Flights operated west to Agra Airport, Willingdon Airfield, Gaya Airport, Assam and east into Dali Airport, and Kunming in China While the route kept the transports relatively free from enemy attack it led over rugged terrain, through violent storms, with snow and ice at the higher altitudes the planes flew over the mountains. Flying the Himalayan Hump would turn out to be some of the most dangerous flying in the world. Over the course of action there were 460 aircraft and 792 men lost. Still, the operations were a success. There were 167,285 trips that moved 740,000 tons of material to support Chinese troops and other Allied forces. In addition to the ATC transport units, elements of the Tenth Air Force380th Bombardment Group, 375th Bombardment Squadron operated B-24 Liberators from the airfield, flying long range bombardment missions into Burma, south China, Thailand and well as French Indochina. A total of 8 B-24s were lost. Also the B-24s were used to ferry aircraft fuel into China.
The airfield was abandoned after World War II. IAF commenced operations from this airfield in 1962 amid increased tensions with China and following the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China. Initially Dakotas and Vampires, later Hunters, Otters and Mi-4 helicopters commenced air operations from Chabua air base. In the mid-seventies, subsequent to the runway upgradation and renovation, the supersonic MiG-21 became the mainstay fighter aircraft operating from here till date. On March 8, 2011, Chabua inducted the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. The initiation was done through a symbolic ceremony with the inaugural flight of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI taking off from here. It also performed an overshoot before landing. Chabua is the second airbase in the northeast after Tezpur to house the Sukhois, capable of a cruising speed range of 3,200 km, which can be more than doubled with mid-air refuelling by IL-78 aircraft. The deployment of the Su-30MKI to Chabua is aimed at building upmilitary capabilities in the border region with China.
