RAF Kasrafeet

Military withdrawal and handover. The airport was closed as a Royal Air Force station following the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement of 1954, which mandated the withdrawal of all British forces from the Suez Canal Zone. The base was officially handed over to the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) as part of this process, which was completed by June 1956. It ceased to be a British military installation and its primary operational purpose ended at that time.

The site is now defunct as an airport. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (30.247667, 32.412195) shows the clear and extensive remnants of the WWII-era airfield, including the triangular runway layout and numerous dispersal pans, all in a state of decay. The original runways are crumbling and unusable. The area is located within a large, active Egyptian Armed Forces military base, believed to be part of the headquarters of the Egyptian Second Field Army. While the original airfield is abandoned, the surrounding area is a highly active and secured military zone.

RAF Kasfareet was a major Royal Air Force station with significant strategic importance during and after World War II. Established around 1941 in the Suez Canal Zone, it served as a critical staging post, transport hub, and operational base for the North African and Mediterranean campaigns.

Key Operations and Roles:
- **WWII Hub:** It was a vital link in the air reinforcement route to the Far East and supported operations in the Western Desert. It hosted a wide variety of aircraft, including transport planes like the Douglas Dakota, bombers, and fighters such as the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Tempest.
- **Post-War Headquarters:** After the war, it remained one of the most important British airbases in the Middle East. It became the headquarters for No. 205 Group RAF, which controlled all transport and maritime squadrons in the region.
- **Squadron Base:** Numerous notable RAF squadrons were based at Kasfareet at various times, including No. 13 (Mosquito), No. 39 (Mosquito), No. 70 (Dakota/Valetta), No. 73 (Vampire), No. 208 (Meteor), and No. 213 (Vampire/Venom) squadrons, among others.
- **Maintenance and Support:** The base also included significant maintenance and repair facilities, supporting the large British military presence in the Canal Zone until the mid-1950s.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Kasfareet as a public or civilian airport. Its location within a sensitive and active Egyptian military base, combined with its derelict state, makes any form of reactivation for non-military purposes extremely unlikely. The site's future is tied to the strategic plans of the Egyptian military.