Sint-Niklaas Airfield

The primary reason for the closure was the non-renewal of the environmental and operating permit by the provincial government of East Flanders. This decision was the culmination of years of persistent complaints from local residents and users of the adjacent provincial recreational park, 'De Ster', regarding noise pollution from the ultralight aircraft. The airfield's proximity to this popular public space and residential areas made its continued operation politically and socially untenable, leading the authorities to prioritize noise abatement and the recreational use of the land over aviation activities.

The site of the former airfield has been fully decommissioned. All aviation-related infrastructure, including the hangar and any runway markers, has been removed. The land has been integrated into the surrounding green space of the 'De Ster' recreational domain. It is now used for passive recreation, agriculture, and nature, with walking paths crossing the area where the runway once was. The faint outline of the former grass strip is still partially visible on historical satellite imagery but is no longer discernible on the ground as an active runway.

Sint-Niklaas Airfield was a private, recreational airfield dedicated almost exclusively to ultralight (ULM/microlight) aviation. It was established in the early 1980s and became the home base for the 'Nikolaas ULM Club' (NUC). For over three decades, it served as a significant hub for ultralight pilots in the Waasland region of Belgium. Operations included flight training for new pilots, recreational local flights, and a social center for the club's members. The airfield featured a single grass runway, oriented roughly 06/24, and a modest hangar for aircraft storage and maintenance. While not historically significant in a military or commercial sense, it was a vital and long-standing part of Belgium's general aviation and recreational flying community.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Sint-Niklaas Airfield. The fundamental issues that led to its closure—noise complaints and its location next to a major recreational park—have not changed. In fact, environmental regulations and population density in the Flanders region have only increased, making it virtually impossible for a new permit to be granted for this location. The land has been repurposed, and the political and public will to re-establish an airfield at this site is non-existent.