RAF Eye

The airfield was closed as part of the post-World War II downsizing of the British military. It was deemed surplus to requirements after its final use as a storage depot by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The site has been almost completely returned to civilian use. The main runways and many taxiways were broken up for aggregate in the 1960s and 1970s, and the land is now primarily used for agriculture. A large portion of the former technical site has been developed into the Eye Airfield Industrial Estate, which hosts numerous businesses. While most of the airfield infrastructure is gone, some original Nissen huts and other buildings remain, often repurposed for industrial or farm use. A memorial to the 490th Bombardment Group is located on the site to commemorate its wartime service.

RAF Eye was a purpose-built Class A heavy bomber airfield constructed in 1943-1944 for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force. Its primary and most notable occupant was the 490th Bombardment Group (Heavy), which flew B-17 Flying Fortress and later B-24 Liberator bombers on strategic missions over Nazi-occupied Europe from May 1944 to April 1945. The group participated in major campaigns including support for the D-Day landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and the final Allied push into Germany. After the war, the airfield was returned to the RAF in September 1945 and used by No. 259 Maintenance Unit for the storage and disposal of surplus wartime equipment until its final closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Eye as an airport. The original runways have been removed, and the land has been extensively redeveloped for industrial and agricultural purposes, making any potential reactivation as an aviation facility economically and logistically unfeasible.