Aliartos, GR 🇬🇷 Closed Airport
GR-0013
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- ft
GR-H
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 38.431698° N, 23.134922° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: Kopaida Moschonis Moschonis
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The airfield was gradually phased out of active military use during the late 1980s and early 1990s. A precise, single date of official closure is not publicly documented, as its decommissioning was a process of military consolidation rather than an abrupt shutdown.
The closure was a result of military restructuring and modernization within the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). As military aircraft became more advanced, they required longer, better-paved runways and more complex support infrastructure. Smaller, older satellite airfields like Aliartos became strategically and operationally obsolete. The HAF consolidated its forces and assets at larger, more capable primary bases, such as the nearby Tanagra Air Base, leading to the abandonment of secondary fields like Ikaros.
The site is permanently closed to all air traffic. The original runway and taxiway layout is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but the pavement is in a state of extreme disrepair, with extensive cracking and vegetation overgrowth. A substantial portion of the former airfield, particularly on the eastern side, has been repurposed for renewable energy. A large-scale photovoltaic (solar) power plant has been constructed on the grounds, occupying a significant area of the former operational space. The remaining original military buildings are mostly abandoned and derelict.
Ikaros Airfield, also known as Aliartos Airfield, was a historically significant military air base for the Hellenic Air Force. Its origins trace back to before World War II. The airfield was operational during the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, where it was used by the HAF and targeted by the Luftwaffe. After the war, during the Cold War era, it served as a satellite and dispersal airfield, likely supporting the main fighter base at Tanagra. Its primary role was likely for training exercises, light transport, and as a forward operating location to disperse aircraft away from main bases in case of an attack. It was an integral part of Greece's air defense network for several decades.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Ikaros Airfield. The combination of the runway's complete deterioration and the construction of a large, permanent solar farm on the property makes its reactivation for any aviation purpose highly improbable and economically unfeasible. The land has been effectively and permanently repurposed.