RAF Lyneham

The closure was a result of a major UK defence review and restructuring program. The primary reason was the strategic decision to consolidate the Royal Air Force's entire strategic and tactical air transport fleet at a single 'super-base'. Consequently, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules fleet, which had been based at Lyneham for over 40 years, was relocated to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. This move aimed to improve efficiency and reduce long-term operational costs by co-locating the Hercules with the RAF's other large aircraft, such as the C-17 Globemaster and Voyager tanker/transport aircraft.

The site was transferred from the Royal Air Force to the British Army and has been completely redeveloped. It is now known as MoD Lyneham and is home to the Defence College of Technical Training (DCTT). The facility primarily houses the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (DSEME), providing state-of-the-art technical training for personnel from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Army), the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force. While some of the original hangars and buildings have been repurposed, the site is now fundamentally a technical training college, not an active airfield. The runway is no longer maintained for large fixed-wing aircraft operations.

RAF Lyneham was one of the UK's most important military airbases for over 70 years. Opened in May 1940 during World War II, it initially served as a maintenance unit and a key departure point for ferrying aircraft to overseas theatres. Throughout the Cold War, it evolved into the RAF's principal transport base, handling strategic airlift for troops and equipment worldwide. Its most famous role was as the 'Home of the Hercules', operating the C-130 fleet from 1967 until 2011. These aircraft were involved in every major UK military operation and numerous humanitarian aid missions during that period. In its final decade, RAF Lyneham held a deeply poignant role as the gateway for the repatriation of UK service personnel killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The solemn processions from the base through the nearby town of Royal Wootton Bassett became a national symbol of remembrance and respect for the fallen.

There are no plans or prospects for RAF Lyneham to reopen as an airport. The site has undergone a multi-hundred-million-pound transformation into a core defence training establishment. The infrastructure has been fundamentally altered to support its new role, and the strategic military decision to consolidate air transport operations at RAF Brize Norton is a long-term one. Therefore, its reopening as either a military or civilian airport is considered highly improbable.