Brandenburg-Briest Airport

Primarily economic reasons. After the withdrawal of the Russian military in 1994, the airfield was converted for civilian use as a 'Sonderlandeplatz' (special landing site) for general aviation. The private operating company was unable to run the facility profitably, leading to insolvency and the eventual loss of its operating license. The high costs of maintaining the large, former military infrastructure for a small amount of general aviation traffic proved unsustainable.

The former airport site has been completely redeveloped and is no longer recognizable as an active airfield. The vast majority of the site, including the main runway and taxiways, is now home to one of Germany's largest photovoltaic power plants, the 'Solarpark Briest-Havelsee'. The large, flat, and cleared area was ideal for solar panel installation. Other parts of the former military base have been converted into an industrial and commercial park ('Gewerbegebiet'), with various businesses occupying repurposed buildings and new constructions. Some derelict military structures, like hardened aircraft shelters, may still be visible in the surrounding area.

The airport has a long and significant military history spanning much of the 20th century.

- **Imperial Germany & Weimar Republic:** Established around 1916 during World War I as a pilot training school. It continued to play a role in the secret rearmament of Germany during the Weimar Republic.

- **Nazi Era (Third Reich):** Its most famous period. The airfield became the primary factory airfield for the adjacent Arado Flugzeugwerke (Arado Aircraft Works). It was here that numerous important Luftwaffe aircraft were developed, tested, and had their first flights. Most notably, the Arado Ar 234 'Blitz', the world's first operational jet bomber, was tested and produced here. Other aircraft like the Arado Ar 196 seaplane were also associated with the site.

- **Soviet Occupation (Cold War):** After World War II, the airfield was taken over by the Soviet Air Force and became a major Soviet airbase within the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. It housed various fighter and fighter-bomber regiments over the decades, flying aircraft such as the MiG-17, Su-7, MiG-23, MiG-27, and finally the MiG-29. It was a key frontline airbase for the Warsaw Pact until the reunification of Germany.

- **Post-Reunification:** Following the withdrawal of Russian troops in 1994, the airfield was demilitarized and converted for civilian use, handling general aviation, ultralight aircraft, and gliding operations until its closure.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. The extensive and permanent redevelopment of the core airfield infrastructure, particularly the installation of a massive solar park directly on the runway system, makes a return to aviation operations physically impossible and economically unfeasible. The land has been permanently repurposed.