RAF Binbrook

The closure was a direct result of military strategic changes and aircraft modernization. The primary reason was the retirement of the English Electric Lightning interceptor, the last aircraft type based at the station. This was part of the UK's broader post-Cold War defence reviews and the transition to the more advanced Panavia Tornado F3 interceptor, which was consolidated at other RAF stations like RAF Coningsby.

The former RAF Binbrook site has been completely redeveloped for civilian use. The domestic site, including the married quarters, has been converted into a residential village named Brookenby. The technical site, including hangars and workshops, is now the Binbrook Technical Park, an industrial estate housing various businesses. While some original structures like hangars, the control tower, and hardened aircraft shelters remain, the main runways and taxiways have been largely removed or have fallen into extreme disrepair, with parts of the land returned to agriculture or used for vehicle storage. The airfield is also notable for being a primary filming location for the 1990 movie 'Memphis Belle', where it stood in for the wartime base of RAF Bassingbourn.

RAF Binbrook holds significant historical importance, spanning from World War II to the end of the Cold War. It opened in June 1940 as a key base for RAF Bomber Command. During WWII, it was most famously home to the Royal Australian Air Force's No. 460 Squadron, which flew Avro Lancaster heavy bombers on perilous missions over Europe and suffered the highest casualty rate of any Australian squadron in the war. After the war, the station continued its bomber role with Avro Lincolns and later the English Electric Canberra jet bomber, briefly hosting the renowned No. 617 'Dambusters' Squadron. In 1965, it transitioned to a fighter base and became synonymous with the English Electric Lightning. As a major Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) station for the northern UK, it was responsible for scrambling its Mach 2 Lightning interceptors to challenge Soviet aircraft approaching UK airspace over the North Sea. It was the last operational base for the iconic Lightning, earning it the nickname 'The Home of the Lightning'. Its official ICAO code when active was EGXB.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Binbrook as an airport. The site has been extensively redeveloped for permanent residential and industrial purposes, and the essential aviation infrastructure, particularly the runways, has been dismantled or destroyed. Re-establishing it as a functional airfield would be prohibitively expensive and impractical due to the established civilian land use.