Oyonnax - Arbent

The closure was driven primarily by economic factors. The airport operated at a significant and persistent financial deficit, costing the local inter-municipal authority (Syndicat Mixte de l'Aérodrome d'Oyonnax-Arbent) hundreds of thousands of euros per year in subsidies. Air traffic was extremely low, consisting almost entirely of the local flying club and a small number of private business flights. The substantial investment required to maintain the facilities and upgrade them to meet evolving safety and regulatory standards was deemed unjustifiable for the limited use it received. Furthermore, the relative proximity of major international airports like Geneva (GVA) and Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS) provided viable alternatives for business and private travel.

The airport site has been completely decommissioned and redeveloped. The land has been transformed into a modern business and industrial park named 'Technopole d'Oyonnax-Arbent'. The runway, taxiways, and other aviation infrastructure have been entirely removed and replaced with new roads, industrial buildings, and commercial lots. Companies, particularly from the plastics and manufacturing sectors, have built new facilities on the former airfield, effectively erasing its previous identity. The redevelopment project aimed to leverage the strategically located land for economic growth and job creation.

Inaugurated in 1937, the Oyonnax-Arbent Airport (former official ICAO code: LFLK) was a key infrastructure asset for the region known as the 'Plastics Vallée,' a major European center for the plastics manufacturing industry. Its primary role was to support the local economy by facilitating business aviation for executives, engineers, and clients of the numerous local companies. The airport was also the home of the 'Aéro-club Jean-Coutty d'Oyonnax,' which served as a hub for recreational flying, flight instruction, and gliding activities for the local community. It featured a single paved runway (04/22) of approximately 1,200 meters but never hosted scheduled commercial passenger services.

There are zero prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been permanently and irreversibly repurposed for industrial and commercial use. The complete redevelopment of the site, including the construction of large, permanent structures on the former runway, makes any return to aviation activities at this location physically and logistically impossible. No plans or discussions exist for its revival as an airfield.