RAF Thorney Island

Military reorganisation and defence budget cuts. The station was closed as a Royal Air Force (RAF) base as part of the 1974 Defence Review, which implemented significant reductions in the UK's military footprint. The RAF's transport fleet operations, which were the station's primary role at the time, were consolidated at other airfields, such as RAF Lyneham.

The site is an active military installation. After the RAF's departure in 1976, the facility was used to temporarily house Vietnamese refugees in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984, the site was transferred to the British Army and renamed Baker Barracks. It is currently the home of several Royal Artillery regiments, notably the 12th Regiment Royal Artillery and the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery, which specialize in air defence systems. While no longer an active fixed-wing airfield, the runways and infrastructure are maintained and used for military training, helicopter operations, and by the Thorney Island Sailing Club.

RAF Thorney Island has a rich military history. Opened in 1938, it was initially a fighter station before becoming a crucial base for RAF Coastal Command during World War II. It played a vital role in the Battle of Britain, primarily conducting anti-shipping and reconnaissance missions. The station was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe on 18 August 1940. Throughout the war, squadrons based here flew aircraft like the Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson, and Vickers Wellington on anti-submarine patrols and strikes against enemy shipping, and provided air-sea rescue services. After the war, it continued its Coastal Command role before transitioning to become a major base for RAF Transport Command in the 1950s. It was home to squadrons operating large, heavy-lift transport aircraft, including the Handley Page Hastings, Blackburn Beverley, and Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, making it a key logistics hub for British forces worldwide. It also housed the No. 2 Air Navigation School for many years.

None. The site is a fully operational and strategically important British Army base. There are no known plans, proposals, or prospects for it to be reopened as a public or civilian airport. Its current use as Baker Barracks by the Royal Artillery is firmly established.