Markersdorf Airfield

The primary reason for the closure of the military base was a strategic restructuring of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer). Operations and units, such as the Fliegerwerft 1 (Air Maintenance Depot 1), were consolidated at other major air bases like Zeltweg (Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser) as part of a modernization effort. The subsequent closure of the small civilian airfield was a direct result of the land being sold and repurposed for large-scale commercial and industrial development.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped and is no longer used for aviation. It is now home to the 'Wirtschaftspark A1', a large business and industrial park leveraging its strategic location next to the A1 West Autobahn. A significant portion of the area is occupied by the VAZ St. Pölten, a major event center that hosts concerts, trade fairs, and large music festivals, most notably the 'Frequency Festival'. Additionally, a large photovoltaic power plant, 'Solarpark Markersdorf', has been built on the former airfield grounds. While the faint outline of the old runways and taxiways can still be discerned from satellite imagery, the surfaces have been built over, removed, or repurposed for roads and industrial lots.

Markersdorf Airfield has significant military history. It was originally constructed by the German Luftwaffe in 1938 after the Anschluss. During World War II, it was a major air base known as 'Fliegerhorst Markersdorf' and played a crucial role in the air defense of the region, including Vienna and nearby industrial centers. It hosted various fighter and bomber units, such as Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27). After WWII, the airfield was occupied by Soviet forces until the Austrian State Treaty in 1955. Subsequently, it became a key base for the newly formed Austrian Air Force (Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte), housing maintenance depots, training facilities, and squadrons operating aircraft like the De Havilland Vampire, Saab 29 Tunnan, and Saab 105. It was one of Austria's most important military airfields throughout the Cold War.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Markersdorf Airfield. The extensive and permanent redevelopment of the site into a thriving industrial park, event center, and solar farm makes a return to aviation use virtually impossible. The land has been fundamentally transformed, and the original aviation infrastructure has been dismantled or integrated into the new developments.