RAF Petah Tikva

NoneIL 🇮🇱 Closed Airport

ICAO

IL-0014

IATA

-

Elevation

- ft

Region

IL-M

Local Time

Loading...

Loading...

Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 32.087673° N, 34.914894° E

Continent: AS

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

Current Weather Conditions

Loading weather data...

Loading weather data...


Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

2003

Reason for Closure

The primary reason for the airport's closure was urban encroachment. The city of Petah Tikva expanded significantly, and the valuable land occupied by the airbase was needed for residential and commercial development. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) transferred the land to the Israel Land Administration to facilitate the construction of a new neighborhood.

Current Status

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped. It is now a large, modern residential neighborhood within Petah Tikva, commonly referred to as the 'Sirkin Compound' or 'Neve Oz'. The area consists of numerous apartment buildings, public parks, schools, and commercial infrastructure. All runways, hangars, and military structures have been demolished to make way for the new urban development.

Historical Significance

Originally established as RAF Petah Tikva by the British Royal Air Force during the British Mandate for Palestine in the early 1940s, it served as a strategic airfield during World War II. After the British withdrawal in 1948, it was taken over by the nascent Israeli Air Force (IAF) and renamed Sirkin Airbase (Baha 14). Its most crucial role was serving as the home of the IAF's main Flight School from the early 1950s until its relocation to Hatzerim Airbase in 1966. During this period, generations of Israeli pilots were trained at Sirkin. The base also hosted transport squadrons and other light aircraft units, playing a logistical role in Israel's military operations.

Reopening Prospects

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been permanently and irreversibly repurposed for dense urban development, making any future aviation use impossible.

Nearby Airports

Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson)
LLBL
Petah Tikva, IL
Heliport
~5 km away
Sheba (Tel HaShomer) Medical Center
LLSM
Ramat Gan, IL
Heliport
~8 km away
Ben Gurion International Airport
TLV • LLBG
Tel Aviv, IL
Large International Airport Scheduled Service
~9 km away
Meir Medical Center Helipad
IL-0009
Kefar Sava, IL
Heliport
~11 km away
Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center
LLIC
Tel Aviv, IL
Heliport
~12 km away
Herzliya Airport
LLHZ
Herzliya, IL
Small Airport
~13 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

User Comments

No comments for this airport yet.

Leave a comment