Aeródromo de Zalla - Forestal

Operational Consolidation and Relocation. The airfield was closed because its primary user, the aerial firefighting service of the Provincial Council of Biscay (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia), was moved to a new, purpose-built, and technologically superior facility in Gordexola. The Zalla airfield, which was a basic dirt/grass strip, was made redundant by the new, centralized base that offered better infrastructure and consolidated various emergency services.

The site is defunct and abandoned for aviation use. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows that the former dirt/grass runway is still clearly identifiable but is unmaintained, overgrown with vegetation, and unusable by aircraft. The land is located next to the 'Polígono Industrial El Longar' and appears to be derelict or used for informal, non-aviation purposes. Any specific infrastructure related to its time as an airbase has been removed or has fallen into disrepair.

The Aeródromo de Zalla - Forestal served as a crucial forward operating base for aerial firefighting in the province of Biscay, particularly for the rugged Enkarterri region. Its strategic location allowed for rapid deployment of aircraft to combat forest fires. It primarily handled single-engine air tankers (SEATs), such as Air Tractor models, which were instrumental in the provincial government's forest fire suppression program ('Lucha Contra Incendios' or LCI). The airfield was a key component of the region's environmental protection and emergency response infrastructure for several years before its operations were modernized and relocated.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Aeródromo de Zalla. Its original, specialized function was permanently and officially replaced by the superior base in Gordexola. Given the existence of this modern facility nearby and the lack of any other expressed demand for an airfield at this specific location (such as for general aviation or recreational flying), its reopening is considered highly improbable.