Airlanding

Airlanding is a military term for the landing of troops, vehicles, and equipment by aircraft onto a ground area such as an airfield or designated landing zone, followed by immediate disembarkation. It differs from airdrop operations, in which personnel are delivered without a ground-contact landing, typically by parachute.

Airlanding can be accomplished with gliders that transport troops and equipment to a landing zone, or with transport aircraft that touch down and offload through rear ramps. In practice, airlanding requires a landing ground capable of supporting aircraft operations and the subsequent movement of personnel and materiel away from the aircraft.

Historically, airlanding played a central role in some Allied airborne operations during World War II, enabling rapid seizure and use of captured airfields by placing units directly onto runways or airstrips. Glider and heavy-lift transport efforts were coordinated with an accompanying parachute assault in many cases.

In modern military doctrine, the explicit term airlanding is less common, with similar concepts described as airlifted or air assault operations. The underlying objective remains to insert forces into or near a target by air and to establish a foothold for rapid follow-on operations.