Avio Lao Airfield

The airfield was subject to a judicial seizure ('sequestro giudiziario') by Italian authorities. Reports from that period indicate that the seizure was part of a larger investigation by the Guardia di Finanza (Italian financial police) into alleged unauthorized construction, building code violations, and other legal irregularities on the property. This legal action effectively and permanently halted all aviation operations, leading to the revocation of its operational status.

The site has been completely repurposed and is no longer used for aviation. The former runway and associated grounds have been converted into a commercial go-kart racing track named 'Pista di Go-Kart Avio Lao'. The track is a popular local recreational facility, hosting kart rentals for tourists and residents, as well as amateur racing events. Satellite imagery clearly shows the go-kart circuit laid out over the length of the old asphalt runway.

Avio Lao Airfield was a private 'aviosuperficie', a type of airfield in Italy primarily for recreational and general aviation, not commercial traffic. Its significance was local, serving as a key facility for the general aviation community in the 'Riviera dei Cedri' region of Calabria. It was home to the 'Avio Club Lao' and was actively used for:
- Ultralight (VDS - Volo da Diporto o Sportivo) aircraft operations.
- General aviation flights with small private planes.
- Parachuting and skydiving activities, which were a popular tourist attraction for the area.
- Flight school and training activities.
It played a role in local tourism, allowing private pilots to fly into the popular coastal town of Scalea, but it never handled scheduled commercial or large-scale cargo operations.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening the site as an airfield. The combination of the unresolved legal issues that led to its initial seizure and its successful, long-term conversion into a commercial go-kart track makes a return to aviation activities highly improbable. Any such effort would require significant legal resolution, new investment, and complete reconstruction of the facility to meet modern aviation standards set by ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority).