Otumlo Airfield

The closure was a result of military and strategic shifts. The primary reasons include:
1. **Military Capture:** The airfield was a major Ethiopian Air Force base that was captured by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) during Operation Fenkil (the Second Battle of Massawa) in February 1990, effectively ending its use by Ethiopia.
2. **Redundancy:** After Eritrea gained independence in 1991, the newly formed Eritrean Air Force consolidated its operations at the larger, more modern Massawa International Airport (ICAO: HHMS), located just 8 kilometers to the west. Maintaining two large airfields in such close proximity was economically and strategically inefficient for the new nation.
3. **Deterioration:** The facility was not maintained as an active airfield post-independence and fell into disrepair.

The site is no longer an operational airfield. Satellite imagery confirms that the runways and taxiways are in a severe state of disrepair, with significant surface degradation, vegetation growth, and obstructions, making them unusable for aircraft. The facility, including the hardened aircraft shelters and support buildings, has been repurposed by the Eritrean Defence Forces. It currently functions as a military garrison, vehicle and equipment storage depot, and possibly a training area.

Otumlo Airfield was a highly significant and strategic military installation during the Eritrean War of Independence (1961-1991).
- **Ethiopian Air Force Forward Base:** It served as a key forward operating base for the Ethiopian Air Force, used to project air power against Eritrean independence fighters.
- **Operational Hub:** The base housed fighter squadrons, primarily flying Soviet-made aircraft like the MiG-21 and MiG-23, as well as Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters. These aircraft conducted numerous bombing and reconnaissance missions from Otumlo.
- **Fortified Structure:** The airfield features numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), evidence of its importance and the need to protect high-value air assets from EPLF attacks.
- **Pivotal Battle:** Its capture by the EPLF in 1990 was a major turning point in the war, crippling Ethiopia's air capabilities in the region and contributing to the eventual liberation of Massawa.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Otumlo Airfield for aviation purposes. Given its close proximity to the fully operational and superior Massawa International Airport (HHMS), there is no strategic or economic incentive for its reactivation. The substantial cost required to renovate the runways, taxiways, and infrastructure to modern standards makes its reopening highly improbable. Its current role as a ground forces military base appears to be its long-term status.