Gabrovnitsa Air Base

Military conversion and economic reasons. Following the end of the Cold War and Bulgaria's strategic reorientation towards NATO, the Bulgarian Armed Forces underwent significant restructuring and downsizing. The air force consolidated its operations into fewer, more modern bases. Gabrovnitsa, along with several other airfields, was deemed strategically redundant and economically unsustainable to maintain.

The airbase is closed and in a state of advanced decay. The runway, taxiways, and distinctive hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) remain largely intact but are crumbling and overgrown with vegetation. For years, the site was abandoned and became a popular destination for urban explorers, suffering from vandalism and scavenging. In recent years, a significant portion of the base's territory, particularly around the former administrative and technical areas, has been repurposed for the construction of a large photovoltaic (solar) power plant. The core airfield infrastructure remains derelict.

Gabrovnitsa Air Base was a crucial front-line air defense facility for the Bulgarian Air Force during the Cold War. It was home to the 11th Fighter Aviation Regiment (11-ти Изтребителен Авиационен Полк), an elite unit tasked with protecting the airspace of northwestern Bulgaria, including approaches to the capital, Sofia. The regiment initially flew aircraft like the MiG-17 and later various models of the MiG-21. Its importance peaked in the late 1980s when it received the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD 'Flogger-K', one of the most advanced Soviet fighters of its time, making the base a key component of the Warsaw Pact's integrated air defense system. After the Cold War, the unit was briefly re-designated as a fighter-bomber air base before being disbanded.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Gabrovnitsa Air Base for any form of aviation. While there have been sporadic discussions and proposals in the past to convert it into a cargo hub or a private airfield, none have materialized. The construction of the large solar park on the premises makes a full-scale reopening as an airport highly unlikely due to the significant investment that would be required to clear the new infrastructure and restore the decaying airfield.