Plugot Airfield

The closure was primarily due to obsolescence and land redevelopment. As a small, auxiliary airstrip, its strategic and operational value diminished over time. Its proximity to the major, fully-equipped Hatzor Airbase (approx. 14 km north) made it redundant for military purposes. The land was subsequently identified as valuable for alternative uses, leading to its eventual repurposing for energy and industrial projects.

The site is no longer recognizable as an active airfield. The land has been significantly redeveloped. A large portion of the former runway and surrounding area is now occupied by the 'Plugot Solar Park,' a photovoltaic power station that utilizes the flat, open space. The remaining parts of the runway are in a state of decay. The area adjacent to the former airfield is also being developed for industrial and logistics purposes, leveraging its location near a major highway junction (Plugot Junction).

Plugot Airfield, sometimes referred to as Kiryat Gat Airstrip, served as a secondary or auxiliary landing strip. Its primary historical role was likely as an emergency or dispersal airfield for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), supporting the main operations at the nearby Hatzor Airbase. It was a basic facility, likely with an unpaved or lightly paved runway, suitable for light aircraft. It may have also been used for civilian purposes, such as agricultural aviation (crop dusting), which is common in this fertile region of Israel. It did not have the strategic importance of major bases and did not host permanent squadrons.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Plugot Airfield. The permanent redevelopment of the land for a solar farm and industrial facilities makes a return to aviation activities at this site unfeasible. The land has been irrevocably repurposed.