RAF Kinloss

The closure was a direct result of the UK's 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). The primary reason was the cancellation of the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft programme, which was intended to be based at Kinloss. With the retirement of the older Nimrod MR2 fleet and the cancellation of its replacement, the station's primary mission was eliminated, making it surplus to RAF requirements. The decision was a strategic military and economic one, aimed at cutting defence spending.

The site is now an active British Army base known as Kinloss Barracks. It is home to the 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) of the Royal Engineers. While the military base is fully operational, the airfield itself is no longer a commissioned RAF station. The runways and airfield infrastructure are maintained by the Army and remain available for use by military aircraft for exercises and diversions, but it does not host any permanently based flying squadrons. The site is not open for any civilian or commercial air traffic.

RAF Kinloss had a long and distinguished history. Opened on 1 April 1939, it initially served as a training base for Bomber Command during World War II, primarily for crews flying Whitley, Wellington, and Halifax bombers. After the war, it transitioned to a vital role in Coastal Command. For decades during the Cold War, it was home to squadrons of Avro Shackleton aircraft, which conducted long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, monitoring Soviet naval activity in the strategically critical Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap. In the 1970s, the Shackletons were replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1/MR2, a jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft. Kinloss became synonymous with the Nimrod fleet, which continued the ASW, maritime surveillance, and anti-surface warfare roles. The station was also a major centre for air-sea rescue operations, hosting a Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter flight for many years. For over 70 years, RAF Kinloss was a cornerstone of the UK's maritime air power and a key NATO asset.

There are no current, concrete plans to reopen RAF Kinloss as a major civilian or military airport. The prospect is considered highly unlikely for several reasons. Firstly, the UK's new fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is based at the nearby RAF Lossiemouth, which has received significant investment to become the UK's primary maritime patrol hub. Reopening Kinloss for this role would be redundant. Secondly, for civilian use, its close proximity to the established Inverness Airport (approximately 25 miles away) presents significant commercial viability challenges. While local authorities have explored concepts for an aerospace and technology park on the site, a full-scale reopening as a commercial airport is not actively being pursued.