Haapamäki Airfield

The closure was due to the cessation of activities by its operator, the Haapamäki Aviation Club (Haapamäen Ilmailukerho ry). This is a common reason for the closure of small, private airfields in Finland, often stemming from a combination of factors including declining membership, rising operational and maintenance costs, an aging member base, and a lack of volunteers to maintain the facilities. There is no evidence of a major accident or military conversion leading to the closure.

The site is abandoned and completely unusable for aviation. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms that the runway outline is still faintly visible but is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and young trees. Any former buildings or facilities are in a state of decay. The land is not being actively used for any other purpose (e.g., agriculture, motorsports) and is slowly reverting to its natural forested state.

Haapamäki Airfield was a local general aviation airfield primarily significant to the regional recreational flying community. It was established in the early 1970s, built largely through the volunteer work ('talkootyönä') of the Haapamäki Aviation Club. When active, it featured a single grass/gravel runway (approximately 650 x 15 meters) and handled Visual Flight Rules (VFR) traffic for light aircraft, such as single-engine Cessnas or Pipers, and potentially gliding operations. Its history is representative of the grassroots aviation club movement in rural Finland during the latter half of the 20th century.

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Haapamäki Airfield. Due to the long period of disuse, the significant overgrowth of the runway, and the dissolution of the original operating club, reopening the airfield is considered highly improbable. It would require the formation of a new, well-funded organization and a substantial investment to clear the land, rebuild the runway, and meet modern aviation safety standards.