Evere Airfield

The primary reason for closure was technical obsolescence and strategic consolidation. The runways at Evere were too short and could not be extended to accommodate the larger, heavier post-World War II airliners like the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation. The nearby Melsbroek airfield, which had been significantly expanded by the Germans during WWII, offered longer runways and more space for a modern international airport. Consequently, a decision was made to consolidate all of Brussels' civil air traffic at Melsbroek, which evolved into today's Brussels Airport (BRU/EBBR).

The site of the former Evere Airfield has been completely redeveloped and is now unrecognizable as an airport. The land is occupied by several major facilities and urban infrastructure:
- **NATO Headquarters:** The most prominent occupant, located on the northern part of the former airfield.
- **Belgian Military:** The Queen Elisabeth Quarter (Kwartier Koningin Elisabeth / Quartier Reine Elisabeth), a major Belgian Armed Forces complex, is located on the site.
- **Brussels-Evere Heliport (ICAO: EBEV):** A small portion of the original military grounds remains active as a military heliport, used by the Belgian Armed Forces. The ICAO code BE-0082 is an unofficial identifier for this location, distinct from the official EBEV code for the active heliport.
- **Urban Development:** The area is crisscrossed by major roads, including the Boulevard Léopold III, and contains commercial buildings, offices, and residential areas.

Evere Airfield holds a pivotal place in Belgian aviation history.
- **Origins:** Established by the German Imperial Army during the World War I occupation around 1915.
- **First National Airport:** After the war, it became Belgium's first national airport and the cradle of the country's civil and military aviation.
- **Birthplace of Sabena:** It was the home base for SNETA (Syndicat National pour l'Étude des Transports Aériens), the forerunner to Belgium's national airline. Sabena itself was founded and began its first operations from Evere in 1923, with its first commercial flight to Lympne, UK.
- **Dual Use:** The airfield served as a crucial hub for both military operations of the Belgian Air Force and burgeoning international civilian air travel throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
- **World War II:** During WWII, it was captured and used extensively by the German Luftwaffe, who designated it 'Flugplatz Evere'. It was a frequent target for Allied bombing raids. After the liberation of Brussels in September 1944, it was repaired and used by the British Royal Air Force (as Advanced Landing Ground B.52) and the United States Army Air Forces.

There are zero prospects for reopening Evere Airfield. The site is fully and permanently redeveloped with critical international (NATO HQ) and national (Belgian military) infrastructure, as well as dense urban development. There is no physical space, economic case, or political will to revert the land to aviation use.