Cassibile Airfield

Post-war demobilization. Cassibile Airfield was a temporary wartime airfield constructed for a specific military campaign (Operation Husky). Once the Allied forces advanced north through Italy and the war concluded, there was no further military or civilian need for the facility. The land was subsequently returned to its original agricultural use.

The site of the former Cassibile Airfield has been completely returned to agricultural land. There are no remaining airport buildings, hangars, or infrastructure. However, the faint outline of the main east-west runway and some taxiways can still be clearly discerned from satellite imagery, as their layout is preserved in the boundaries of the modern fields and orchards that now occupy the land.

Cassibile Airfield holds significant historical importance related to World War II. It was a temporary, advanced tactical airfield built by US Army Engineers in July 1943, just days after the initial Allied landings in Sicily during Operation Husky. Its primary role was to provide air support for ground troops and to serve as a base for fighter and bomber aircraft participating in the Sicilian and subsequent Italian campaigns. Key operations and units included:

- **USAAF Twelfth Air Force:** The airfield was a major hub for the Twelfth Air Force.
- **Fighter Operations:** It hosted fighter groups flying Supermarine Spitfires (e.g., 31st Fighter Group) and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks (e.g., 33rd Fighter Group) to establish air superiority over the island.
- **Bomber Operations:** It was used by medium bombers like the North American B-25 Mitchell (e.g., 12th Bombardment Group) and attack aircraft like the North American A-36 Apache (e.g., 86th Bombardment Group) for missions against enemy targets in Sicily and mainland Italy.
- **The Armistice of Cassibile:** The airfield is inextricably linked to the Armistice of Cassibile, the agreement that formalized the surrender of Italy to the Allies. While the document was signed in the nearby town of Cassibile on September 3, 1943, the airfield was the primary Allied military installation in the area, serving as the logistical and command hub where key personnel, including General Dwight D. Eisenhower, were based.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Cassibile Airfield. The land is privately owned and used for agriculture. The region is well-served by major civilian airports, primarily Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) to the north and Comiso Airport (CIY) to the west, making the development of a new airport at this historic site unnecessary and economically unviable.