Halwara Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force (IAF) base located near Halwara town in Punjab, India. The airfield was constructed in 1942 by the Royal Air Force and served as an Allied Air Force staging base during World War II before being abandoned. It was reactivated under the Indian Air Force on March 16, 1950, becoming one of the oldest frontline airbases of the IAF. In the early 1950s, the base housed two Spitfire squadrons, and in 1954, the de Havilland Vampire, the IAF's first jet aircraft, was introduced. The runway was extended in 1963. Due to its location, Halwara was involved in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak conflicts. It housed squadrons of MIG 23 BN aircraft for three decades until their phasing out in March 2009. In September 2012, Halwara inducted its first squadron of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, making it the first air base in the Western Air Command to operate this aircraft. The base is currently home to the 220 Squadron and 221 Squadron, which operate the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. A civil enclave is being constructed at the air base, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in December 2018. This civil enclave is expected to be completed within three years and will be operated as Ludhiana International Airport.