Sint-Denijs-Westrem Airport

The primary reason for the airport's closure was urban expansion. The city of Ghent required the land for a major urban development project. The site was re-purposed to build the Flanders Expo, a large exhibition and event complex, along with the surrounding business park known as 'The Loop'. The airport's location had become incompatible with the growing city, and the economic development potential of the land was prioritized over its aviation use.

The former airport site has been completely redeveloped and is unrecognizable as an airfield. The area is now occupied by the Flanders Expo, one of Belgium's largest event and exhibition halls, which opened in 1986. The surrounding land, known as 'The Loop', is a major commercial zone featuring an IKEA store, the Kinepolis Ghent cinema complex, numerous offices, hotels, and retail outlets. The layout of the old runways and taxiways has been entirely replaced by buildings, roads (like the main access road to Flanders Expo), and parking lots. As a tribute to its past, a preserved Stampe & Vertongen SV.4B aircraft is mounted on a pedestal near the entrance of Flanders Expo, serving as a monument to the site's aviation history.

Sint-Denijs-Westrem Airport (historical ICAO code: EBGT) had a rich and significant history spanning both military and civilian aviation.

- **World War I:** It was first established as an airfield by the German Imperial Army in 1917 during their occupation of Belgium.

- **Interwar and World War II:** After WWI, it became a key base for the Belgian Military Aviation. During WWII, it was captured and extensively used by the German Luftwaffe, serving as a base for fighter squadrons (including the famous Jagdgeschwader 26) during the Battle of Britain. After the liberation of Ghent in September 1944, the heavily damaged airfield was repaired by the Allies and used as an Advanced Landing Ground, designated B-61, by the British Royal Air Force and the US Army Air Forces.

- **Post-War Era:** After the war, it reverted to the Belgian Air Force and became a prominent military base. It was famously the home of the elementary flying school, where generations of Belgian military pilots learned to fly on the Stampe & Vertongen SV.4B biplane. In addition to its military role, the airport was also a vibrant hub for general aviation and recreational flying, home to the Ghent Aviation Club.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The site has been fully and permanently redeveloped into a vital commercial, business, and event hub for the city of Ghent. The land is now far too valuable and integrated into the urban infrastructure to ever be converted back into an airfield.