Tockwith Airfield / RAF Marston Moor

The primary reason for closure was the post-World War II demobilization and the strategic downsizing of the Royal Air Force. As a purpose-built wartime training base, the massive infrastructure of RAF Marston Moor was no longer required once the war ended. Like many other temporary wartime airfields, it was declared surplus to requirements and was eventually sold off.

The site is now a multi-purpose commercial and industrial area. A large portion of the former airfield is occupied by the Marston Moor Business Park, which hosts a variety of businesses. The former runways and perimeter tracks are heavily utilized by the Tockwith Motorsports Centre, a popular venue for karting, car track days, driver training, and supercar driving experiences. Some of the original wartime infrastructure, including T2 hangars, Nissen huts, and defensive pillboxes, still stand and are used for storage or are derelict. Other parts of the expansive site have been returned to agricultural use.

RAF Marston Moor was a vital heavy bomber training base during World War II. Opened in November 1941, its primary role was to host a Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU). It was home to No. 1652 HCU, part of No. 4 Group Bomber Command. The unit's crucial mission was to train entire aircrews (pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, and air gunners) as they transitioned from twin-engine bombers like the Vickers Wellington to the new four-engine heavy bombers, principally the Handley Page Halifax and later the Avro Lancaster. Thousands of Allied airmen from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth nations passed through Marston Moor before being posted to front-line operational squadrons. The airfield was a vast complex with three concrete runways, numerous hangars, and accommodation for over 3,000 personnel, reflecting its importance in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. The extensive development of the Marston Moor Business Park and the Tockwith Motorsports Centre on the original runways and airfield infrastructure makes a return to aviation functionally and economically unfeasible. The site is considered permanently closed to all flying operations.