San Leo, IT 🇮🇹 Closed Airport
IT-0553
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- ft
IT-45
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 43.896713° N, 12.350816° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
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The exact closure date is not publicly documented. However, official regional planning documents from around 2010 listed it as an existing facility. Aviation databases began listing it as 'Closed' in the mid-to-late 2010s. Therefore, it can be inferred that the heliport ceased official operations and was de-registered sometime after 2010, likely falling into disuse gradually rather than being closed on a specific date.
The closure was not due to a singular event like an accident or military conversion. The most likely reason is a combination of disuse and lack of funding for maintenance. As a facility primarily designated for Civil Protection (Protezione Civile), its operational necessity may have diminished, or its function may have been consolidated with other regional emergency landing sites. Without regular use or a budget for upkeep, its official status lapsed, leading to its de-registration and reversion to undeveloped land.
The site at coordinates 43.896713, 12.350816 is currently an open, undeveloped field. Satellite imagery shows no remaining infrastructure, markings (such as a painted 'H'), or buildings associated with a heliport. The land appears to be either fallow or used for agriculture, having fully reverted to its natural state. There is no indication of its past use as an aviation facility.
The San Leo Heliport (more accurately an 'elisuperficie' or helipad) held local, functional importance rather than major historical significance. It was not a commercial airport for passenger traffic. Its primary designated role was to serve as a landing site for the Italian Civil Protection (Protezione Civile) and potentially for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Its location near the Marecchia river valley and the remote, rugged terrain around the historic San Leo fortress made it a strategic point for emergency response, rescue operations, or logistical support. Operations would have been infrequent and consisted of light helicopters landing on a simple, likely unpaved, pad.
There are no known or published plans, proposals, or discussions regarding the reopening of the San Leo Heliport. Given that it was a very basic facility to begin with and its closure was due to disuse, there appears to be no current demand or political will to re-establish it as an official heliport. Emergency services in the region now utilize other designated sites or perform ad-hoc landings in suitable clearings as needed.
Appropriately enough, "Il Vecchio Eliporto" ("The Old Heliport")