Yambol Airfield

Military Restructuring and Economic Factors. The airfield, primarily a military training base, was closed as part of the large-scale reorganization and downsizing of the Bulgarian Air Force following the end of the Cold War. Its training functions were consolidated at other bases, and the airfield was deemed redundant and economically unviable to maintain.

The airfield is defunct and its infrastructure has been largely dismantled. Satellite imagery shows that the concrete runways and most taxiways have been removed, with the land converted primarily for agricultural use. Several of the original hangars and administrative buildings remain in a derelict or repurposed state. A significant portion of the former airfield's territory is now occupied by a large-scale photovoltaic (solar) power plant. The ICAO code BG-0020 likely refers to a historical registration or a small, unmaintained grass strip within the former site, but it is not an operational airport.

The airfield, historically known as Yambol-Kargon Air Base, was a significant training center for the Bulgarian Air Force during the Cold War. Its primary role was to host the 17th Training Aviation Regiment (17-ти Учебен Авиационен Полк). This unit was responsible for the basic and advanced jet training of future fighter pilots. Operations primarily involved trainer aircraft, most notably the Aero L-29 Delfín and later the Aero L-39 Albatros. The base played a crucial role in the pilot production pipeline for the Warsaw Pact-era Bulgarian military. It is important to distinguish this closed airfield from the nearby and still active Bezmer Air Base (ICAO: LBIA), which is a major frontline NATO facility.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Yambol Airfield for any significant aviation activities. The removal of key infrastructure like runways, the conversion of the land to agricultural and energy production use, and the proximity to the major active Bezmer Air Base make its revival as an airport highly improbable.