Buzz
One might assume that the enormous expenses involved in building an airport would guarantee its continuous operation. However, shifting times, advancing technology, and geopolitical conflicts often disrupt even the most carefully crafted strategies. Consequently, numerous commercial airports and military airbases worldwide have been left deserted, their cutting-edge facilities now deteriorating into remnants suitable for grazing livestock, hosting car races, and attracting daring social media explorers.
1. ŽELJAVA AIR BASE // CROATIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Hidden beneath Plješevica Mountain, straddling the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željava Air Base was constructed in secrecy from 1957 to 1965 under the project name “Objekat 505.” With an estimated cost of around $6 billion, the base was intended to serve as a strategic command hub and an early radar warning system for the Yugoslavian military, as reported by Atlas Obscura. Designed to withstand a 20-kiloton nuclear explosion, accommodate 1000 personnel, and facilitate jet launches from its four exits, the base eerily resembles a perfect hideout for a super-villain.
The base continued to operate until 1991 when the Yugoslav National Army, during its withdrawal, decided to demolish it. The following year, the Military of Serbian Krajina, a short-lived quasi-state during the breakup of Yugoslavia, detonated 56 tons of explosives to ensure the site was rendered unusable. However, remnants of unexploded munitions still scattered across the area have made it an ideal training ground for the Bosnian Federation’s bomb-sniffing dogs.
2. FLOYD BENNETT FIELD // BROOKLYN, N.Y.
Zachary Korb, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0
Constructed on Barren Island, a former New York dumping site, and the adjacent marshlands (filled with six million cubic yards of sand), Floyd Bennett Field was inaugurated as New York City’s first municipal airport in 1931. However, the Great Depression caused a sharp decline in commercial air travel, and the airport failed to secure airmail contracts from Newark Airport. Its remote location also made it inconvenient for most New Yorkers. Instead, it gained global recognition as a hub for aviation pioneers. Figures like Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, and Wiley Post used it as a launchpad for their historic flights. In 1939, the opening of LaGuardia Airport overshadowed it, and by 1941, the site was sold to the U.S. Navy. Today, parts of the field, including a hangar, are used by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project and a sports complex, while much of the area remains in decay.
3. ELLINIKON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT // GREECE
Constructed in 1938 as Athens' inaugural airport, the facility was still under development when Nazi forces captured it during their occupation of Greece. (During World War II, the airfield endured numerous attacks by U.S. and British bombers and fighters.) Post-war, the Greek government permitted the United States Air Force to utilize the airport for several years until it was handed back to Greece in 1956.
The airport remained operational throughout the 20th century but was shut down in 2001 following the construction of a more modern facility for the 2004 Summer Olympics. While the northwest section was repurposed for the Olympics, much of the site, including many hangars, now lies abandoned and strewn with debris. Airplanes remain stationary on the runways, with gates still displaying flight information from over a decade ago. A €7 billion proposal to transform the site into a coastal resort has been suggested, but Greece's economic struggles may leave it as a scenic ruin for the foreseeable future.
4. GAZA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT // GAZA
Free Gaza movement, Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0
Opened in 1998 after an $86 million investment, Gaza International Airport was forced to close permanently just three years later when Israeli Defense Forces bombed its control tower and radar station. The runway was further destroyed in 2002, though some staff continued limited operations until 2006. Today, locals repurpose parts of the airport (now called Yasser Arafat International Airport) for construction materials. The site also holds a positive memory: In 2010, over 7000 Gazan children achieved a Guinness World Record by dribbling basketballs simultaneously on a remaining section of the ramp.
5. THE NICOSIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT // CYPRUS
Gustavobw, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Nicosia International Airport, established in 1939, has largely been deserted for four decades. Previously the primary airport for Cyprus, it fell into disuse after Turkey's invasion of the island in 1974. While a portion of the site now serves as the headquarters for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, many structures are in ruins, and the airport lies within a UN-controlled buffer zone (making it inaccessible to visitors). A damaged Cyprus Airways plane from the 1970s remains on the runway, a relic of efforts to evacuate civilians during the conflict.
6. UPPER HEYFORD BASE // OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
R~P~M, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Established during World War I, the Upper Heyford base served as a training facility for the British Royal Air Force from 1918 until 1950. At the onset of the Cold War, it was handed over to the United States Air Force. The Americans added familiar comforts, as reported by USA Today, such as a shopping mall, bowling alley, baseball field, pizza shops, donut stores, and American-style street signs and fire hydrants. During its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, 13,000 U.S. military personnel were stationed here, with three spy planes regularly patrolling the edges of the Communist bloc. The base was vacated by the U.S. Air Force in 1993, sparking ongoing debates about its future—some view it as an eyesore, while others see it as a vital Cold War relic. While much of the site is in decay, certain areas, like the Mission Control Center, remain preserved as time capsules. Although unauthorized access is prohibited due to tight security, guided tours are offered.
7. JOHNSTON ATOLL AIRPORT // U.S. MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS
Situated on one of the world's most remote atolls, over 700 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii, this small airport operated as a U.S. military base for much of the 20th century before shutting down in 2005. (This closure might be for the best, as nuclear tests in the 1960s left the island contaminated with plutonium.) The site also hosted bioweapon experiments on barges filled with rhesus monkeys and served as a storage facility for chemical weapons. Although the runway is officially closed and abandoned, it is occasionally used in emergencies.
8. BAGEROVO AIRFIELD // CRIMEAN PENINSULA
The Bagerovo airfield, located on the Crimean Peninsula about 700 kilometers southeast of Kiev, has shrouded origins, likely due to its top-secret status for many years. Active by the early 1940s, it was later repurposed for testing cruise missiles and conducting aerial nuclear explosions, among other high-risk activities. The facility was so classified that personnel were nicknamed "deaf-and-dumb," refusing to acknowledge or discuss their work. Declassified in 1971 after media exposure, the airfield's extra-long runways hosted the Soviet space shuttle Buran in the 1980s and served as a training ground for Soviet pilots. Abandoned in the mid-1990s, it became a hotspot for drag racing. In 2012, a developer purchased the site with plans to dismantle the runways and install wind turbines, offering a fitting conclusion to its nuclear legacy.
9. MARINE AIR CORPS STATION EL TORO // NEAR IRVINE, CALIF.
Patrick Dirden, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
For much of the mid-20th century, this 4600-acre airport served as the hub for the Marines' West Coast aviation operations. It’s also famously featured in Independence Day as the location where Will Smith takes off to confront alien invaders. Established in 1943, the base was designated a permanent Master Jet Station in 1950, becoming a key support center for the operational readiness of Pacific Fleet Forces, as stated by the Navy. Its four runways were built to accommodate the largest military aircraft, and the base hosted a renowned air show for many years. After its decommissioning in 1999, there are proposals to transform it into a sprawling metropolitan park, though it currently serves as a filming site for productions like those starring Will Smith and Top Gear.
10. PEARLS AIRPORT // GRENADA
Tony Hisgett, Flickr // CC BY 2.0Pearls Airport in Grenada, with its quaint name, was the nation's first airport but has been devoid of air traffic for decades. Left abandoned following the U.S. invasion in 1983, it now hosts wandering goats, cows, and two deteriorating Soviet planes—a nod to Cuba's influence in Grenada from 1979 to 1983. According to locals, these Cold War remnants were damaged during the invasion and have been decaying in a field ever since. Similar to other deserted airports worldwide, Pearls has become a favored spot for drag racing.
BONUS: CIUDAD REAL CENTRAL AIRPORT // SPAIN
Spain is notorious for its collection of underused airports, a consequence of the massive construction boom in the early 21st century and the subsequent collapse during the Great Recession.
The Ciudad Real Central Airport, located an hour from Madrid, was also known as the Don Quixote Airport—a name that aptly reflects its grandiose ambitions. Constructed at a cost of €1 billion ($1.1 billion), it opened in 2008 but filed for bankruptcy and shut down in 2012 after failing to draw sufficient airline interest. Abandoned for years, it became a stark symbol of Spain's economic struggles post-Great Recession. Recently, a group of Chinese investors made a €10,000 ($11,000) bid for the site at a bankruptcy auction. With no other bidders so far, the sale is set to finalize in September—offering a unique opportunity for anyone dreaming of owning their own deserted airport.
