RAF Aldermaston

Reading, Berkshire, GB 🇬🇧 Closed Airport

ICAO

GB-0090

IATA

-

Elevation

340 ft

Region

GB-ENG

Local Time

Loading...

Loading...

Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 51.370253° N, -1.141376° E

Continent: EU

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.
Nearby Points of Interest

Current Weather Conditions

Loading weather data...

Loading weather data...


Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

1950

Reason for Closure

Military conversion. The airfield was closed to flying operations and transferred to the Ministry of Supply to become the site for the newly established Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE), now known as AWE, as part of the UK's post-war nuclear program.

Current Status

The site is now the location of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston. It is a high-security facility that designs, manufactures, and supports the warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. The original airfield layout, including runways and taxiways, has been almost entirely obliterated by the construction of the extensive AWE complex, although faint outlines are visible in some aerial imagery.

Historical Significance

RAF Aldermaston was a significant airfield during World War II. Opened in 1942 for RAF Bomber Command, it was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1943 and designated USAAF Station 467. Its most critical role was as a major troop carrier base for the D-Day Normandy landings. On the night of June 5-6, 1944, C-47 Skymaster aircraft from the 434th Troop Carrier Group departed from Aldermaston carrying paratroopers of the US 101st Airborne Division ('Screaming Eagles') for the invasion of occupied France. After D-Day, it was used for casualty evacuation and resupply missions. It returned to RAF control in February 1945 and was used by Transport Command before its closure as an airfield.

Reopening Prospects

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Aldermaston as an airport. The site's current use as the high-security Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), a critical component of UK national security, makes any conversion back to an aviation facility completely infeasible.

Nearby Airports

Brimpton Airfield
EGLP
Reading, Berkshire, GB
Small Airport
~3 km away
Englefield Airstrip
GB-0506
Reading, Berkshire, GB
Small Airport
~7 km away
Colthrop Manor Farm Airstrip
GB-0903
Thatcham, Berkshire, GB
Small Airport
~7 km away
Siege Cross Farm Airstrip
GB-0902
Thatcham, Berkshire, GB
Small Airport
~7 km away
RAF Greenham Common
GB-1265
Thatcham, Berkshire, GB
Closed Airport
~10 km away
Shear Down Farm Airstrip
GB-0930
NoneGB
Small Airport
~11 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

User Comments

No comments for this airport yet.

Leave a comment