Ploče Airport

Military abandonment. The primary reason for its closure was the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The airfield was built for and operated by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). With the end of the JNA's presence in Croatia, the facility lost its military purpose and was not repurposed by the newly formed Croatian Armed Forces or converted for civilian use.

The site is currently derelict. The original runway is still clearly visible but is in a state of significant disrepair, with a cracked and weathered surface. It is not maintained for aviation purposes. The area is unofficially and often illegally used for various activities, including driving school practice, amateur go-karting, street racing, and as a general open space. The land immediately surrounding the former runway has been partially developed into the Ploče business and enterprise zone ('Poduzetnička zona Ploče').

The site was a reserve military airfield (known in Serbo-Croatian as a 'ratno letilište') for the Yugoslav People's Army. Its strategic location in the Neretva River delta, near the major seaport of Ploče, was vital for controlling the southern Adriatic coast. The airfield was designed to be used as a dispersal point for military aircraft, primarily jet fighters like the MiG-21, in the event of a conflict, moving them away from larger, more vulnerable airbases. It consisted of a single concrete/asphalt runway and basic facilities, and it never handled scheduled commercial or civilian passenger traffic during its active period.

There are significant, long-term ambitions to develop a new international airport at or near this location, but no concrete projects are currently underway.

For years, local and regional authorities have promoted the idea of a Ploče Airport to serve the tourist-heavy areas of the Makarska Riviera, the Pelješac peninsula, the islands of Korčula and Hvar, and the nearby pilgrimage site of Međugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus relieving pressure on the airports in Split and Dubrovnik.

In 2018-2019, a major proposal gained media attention involving a Chinese consortium (Z-Run Well Ton Industry Co. Ltd.) that expressed interest in investing over €500 million to build a new international airport with a modern terminal and a 3,200-meter runway. Despite initial high-level talks and local government support, the project has since stalled and has not progressed to a construction phase. As of now, the reopening or redevelopment of Ploče Airport remains a speculative, long-term strategic goal rather than an active, funded project.