Csákvár Air Base

The air base was closed due to major geopolitical changes, specifically the end of the Cold War and the subsequent dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The primary reason was the withdrawal of the Soviet Southern Group of Forces from Hungary between 1990 and 1991, which rendered the base militarily redundant for its original purpose. After the Soviet departure, the base was handed over to the Hungarian state and was not integrated into the modern Hungarian Air Force's structure.

The site is abandoned and in a state of significant decay. The concrete runway, taxiways, and many of the hardened aircraft shelters remain, but are cracked, weathered, and heavily overgrown with vegetation. The property is privately owned and is not maintained for any form of aviation. The former base is a popular spot for urban explorers and is occasionally used for unauthorized or semi-official events such as car meetings, illegal street racing, drift practice, and airsoft games. Some of the former military buildings on the periphery may be used for local agricultural storage, but the core airfield infrastructure is derelict.

Csákvár Air Base was a significant Cold War-era military installation built in the early 1950s. Initially constructed for the Hungarian Air Force, it was later taken over and heavily utilized by the Soviet Air Forces' Southern Group of Forces. Its primary role was as a reserve or dispersal airfield, part of a strategic network designed to increase the survivability and operational capacity of Warsaw Pact air assets in the event of a conflict with NATO. The base featured a robust 2,500-meter (8,200 ft) concrete runway, extensive taxiways, and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS). While not always permanently housing a specific regiment, it periodically hosted various Soviet tactical aviation units for training and forward deployment exercises. Aircraft types known to have operated from Csákvár at various times include fighter jets like the MiG-21 and MiG-23, and potentially fighter-bombers such as the Su-17/22. Its strategic location made it a key forward operating base in the Hungarian theater.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Csákvár Air Base for either military or civilian aviation. The significant degradation of its infrastructure, particularly the runway and taxiways, would require massive investment to restore to operational standards. Given its redundancy after the Cold War and the availability of other active airfields in Hungary, its reactivation is considered highly unlikely. Any future development of the large, flat area is more likely to involve non-aviation purposes such as an industrial park, a solar farm, or large-scale agriculture, though no such major redevelopment projects have materialized to date.