Hullavington Airfield

Military consolidation and economic reasons. The cessation of flying in the 1990s was part of post-Cold War defence cuts. The final closure and sale in 2016 were part of the UK Government's 'A Better Defence Estate' strategy to dispose of surplus military sites to reduce running costs and generate revenue.

The site is now privately owned by the technology company Dyson and has been redeveloped into the Dyson Hullavington Technology Campus, a major research and development hub. The historic hangars have been restored and repurposed, and new state-of-the-art facilities have been built. The site was initially central to Dyson's cancelled electric vehicle project and is now used for research into robotics, AI, and other advanced technologies. The runways and taxiways remain but are used for vehicle testing, not aviation. The ICAO code GB-1276 refers to the site as a private, unlicensed strip/helipad, not a functioning public or military airport.

RAF Hullavington was a significant Royal Air Force station that opened in June 1937. Its primary role throughout its history was training. During World War II, it was a crucial training base for thousands of Allied pilots, operating as No. 9 Service Flying Training School on aircraft like the Airspeed Oxford. Post-war, it hosted various prestigious units including the Empire Central Flying School, the Central Flying School, and No. 1 Air Navigation School. In its later years, it was home to Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) and the University of Bristol Air Squadron, continuing its training legacy. After flying operations ceased, the site was renamed Buckley Barracks and housed the 9th Regiment Royal Logistic Corps until its final closure. Its original ICAO code as an active military airfield was EGDV.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Hullavington Airfield as a public or military airport. The site has been extensively redeveloped by its private owner, Dyson, into a high-security technology campus. The significant investment in non-aviation infrastructure makes a return to aviation use extremely unlikely.