Merchtem Airfield

Cessation of private operations. Merchtem Airfield was a private field for ultralight (ULM) aircraft. Such small, private airfields often close when the owner decides to stop the activity for personal reasons, such as retirement, sale of the land, or expiration of the operating permit. There is no evidence to suggest the closure was due to a specific accident, economic failure, or military conversion.

The site has been fully decommissioned and returned to agricultural use. The land where the runway once existed is now indistinguishable from the surrounding farmland and is actively used for crop cultivation. All aviation-related infrastructure has been removed.

Merchtem Airfield was a private, registered ultralight (ULM/DPM) aviation site. Its significance was purely local, serving as a base for one or more private pilots in the Belgian ULM community.

- **Identifier**: The code 'BE-0083' is not an official ICAO airport code but a national identifier assigned by the Belgian Directorate General of Air Transport (DGLV/DGTA) to registered ultralight airfields.
- **Operations**: It handled recreational flights for ultralight aircraft only. It was not a public airport and did not support commercial, military, or general aviation traffic.
- **Infrastructure**: The airfield consisted of a single, unpaved grass runway, estimated to be around 400 meters long, oriented roughly ENE-WSW. A small shelter or hangar was likely present on the site to house the aircraft.

None. There are no known plans or proposals to reopen Merchtem Airfield. The land is privately owned and has been reintegrated into agricultural land. Obtaining the necessary permits and zoning approvals to re-establish an airfield in this densely populated region of Belgium would be extremely difficult due to environmental regulations, noise complaints, and safety considerations.