RAF Akeman Street

The closure was a direct result of the end of World War II. As a temporary wartime satellite airfield, it was built specifically for the massive training requirements of the war. With the Allied victory and the subsequent demobilization, the Royal Air Force dramatically reduced its size and infrastructure. The airfield was surplus to the requirements of the much smaller post-war military, and its specific mission of training glider pilots was no longer needed on such a scale.

The site is now a mix of agricultural and industrial use. The original triangular layout of the three runways and the perimeter track are still clearly visible in aerial photography, though the surfaces are heavily degraded, broken up, and largely returned to grassland or farmland. A significant portion of the former airfield, particularly on its southern edge adjacent to the A40 road, has been redeveloped into the Downs Road Trading Estate, a commercial and light industrial park. The rest of the site is primarily used for farming. There are no original wartime buildings remaining.

RAF Akeman Street was a significant World War II satellite airfield, operating as a sub-station for the larger RAF Broadwell. Opened in 1940, its primary and most crucial role was as a training facility for Allied airborne forces. It was home to Heavy Glider Conversion Units (HGCUs), most notably No. 1 and No. 2 HGCU. Here, pilots were trained to fly the large General Aircraft Horsa assault gliders. The airfield was instrumental in preparing crews for major airborne operations, including the D-Day landings in Normandy (Operation Overlord) and the ambitious Operation Market Garden. In addition to glider training, it was also used by No. 6 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, which flew Airspeed Oxfords for multi-engine pilot training. Its existence was vital to the build-up and operational readiness of Britain's airborne divisions.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Akeman Street as an airport. The site has been closed for over 75 years, and its partial redevelopment for industrial use, combined with its return to agriculture, makes any proposal to reinstate it as an active airfield economically and logistically infeasible. The unofficial ICAO code 'GB-0089' is likely a designation used by flight simulator communities or historical airfield databases and does not indicate any official status.