Trastenik Airfield

Economic and strategic realignment. After the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the Bulgarian Armed Forces underwent significant downsizing and restructuring. The airbase was deemed redundant, and its operational costs were unsustainable. This led to the consolidation of air force units at fewer, more strategic locations, resulting in the closure of Trastenik and other similar bases.

The site is no longer an airfield and is permanently repurposed. A large portion of the former base, including significant sections of the runway and taxiways, has been converted into one of Bulgaria's largest photovoltaic power plants (solar farms). The grid of solar panels covers a vast area of the former operational grounds. The remaining infrastructure, such as the abandoned hardened aircraft shelters and derelict administrative buildings, is in a state of decay. The site is now an energy generation facility, not an aviation one.

Trastenik Airfield was a significant military airbase for the Bulgarian Air Force during the Cold War. Constructed in the early 1950s, it was home to the 11th Fighter Air Regiment (11-ти Изтребителен Авиополк), which was part of the 1st Air Defense Division. The base's primary mission was air defense for the northern territories of Bulgaria, including the Danube border. The regiment operated various Soviet-era fighter aircraft, most notably the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (specifically MiG-21bis and the MiG-21UM trainer variant) in its later years. The airfield's infrastructure, including a 2,500-meter concrete runway and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), was typical of Warsaw Pact airbases designed for high-readiness defensive operations.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Trastenik Airfield. The extensive and permanent installation of the solar farm on the airfield's core infrastructure makes any future use for aviation purposes logistically and economically unfeasible. The land has been fundamentally repurposed, and restoring it to an operational airfield would require the complete removal of the multi-million dollar energy project and a complete reconstruction of the aviation surfaces.