Blátna Air Base

Military downsizing and strategic re-evaluation. Following the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the Czech Air Force underwent significant restructuring. The dense network of reserve airfields, including Blátna/Tchořovice, was deemed strategically obsolete and economically unsustainable. The base was declared surplus to military requirements and subsequently abandoned by the army.

The site has been completely repurposed and is no longer recognizable as an active airfield. The most significant development is the 'Photovoltaic Power Plant Tchořovice', one of the largest solar farms in the Czech Republic, which was constructed around 2009-2010. Thousands of solar panels now cover a vast area of the former runway and taxiways. In addition to the solar park, other parts of the former base have been converted into an industrial zone, housing various commercial and manufacturing facilities. The original concrete runway is heavily obstructed, partially dismantled, and largely covered by this new infrastructure.

Blátna Air Base, more commonly known as Tchořovice Airfield (Letiště Tchořovice), was a key component of Czechoslovakia's Cold War military infrastructure. Built between 1954 and 1957, it served as a 'záložní letiště' (reserve/dispersal airfield). Its primary purpose was not to host permanent flying regiments but to act as a hardened, alternative base during wartime. In the event of a conflict, aircraft from primary air bases (like Líně or Čáslav) would be dispersed to Tchořovice to protect them from a pre-emptive strike. The base was equipped with a robust 2,500 x 60 meter concrete runway, extensive taxiways, and dispersed parking stands capable of supporting jet fighter operations (such as MiG and Sukhoi aircraft). It was kept in a state of readiness by a small caretaker staff and was periodically used for military exercises by the Czechoslovakian Air Force.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. The extensive and permanent construction of the large-scale solar farm and industrial park on the former operational surfaces makes a return to any form of aviation activity practically impossible and economically unfeasible. The essential infrastructure, including the runway and taxiways, has been irreversibly compromised.