Orta Nova Borgo Mezzanone Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the end of World War II. As a temporary wartime airfield, its strategic purpose ceased with the conclusion of hostilities in Europe. The massive Foggia Airfield Complex, of which Borgo Mezzanone was a part, was no longer required for military operations. The land was demilitarized and returned to the Italian government, primarily for agricultural use.

The site of the former air base has been completely repurposed. The land has largely reverted to agricultural use, with the faint, ghostly outlines of the former runways and taxiways still visible in aerial and satellite imagery. A significant portion of the site is now occupied by the 'Centro di Accoglienza per Richiedenti Asilo' (C.A.R.A.) di Borgo Mezzanone, a large reception center for asylum seekers. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure from the original WWII base. A small, modern ultralight airstrip (Aviosuperficie di Borgo Mezzanone) exists nearby but is a separate entity and not part of the original military installation.

Borgo Mezzanone was a critically important heavy bomber airfield during World War II, part of the vast Foggia Airfield Complex. Constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in late 1943 after the Allied invasion of Italy, it was a major base for the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force. It primarily hosted B-24 Liberator bomber groups, including the 461st and 484th Bombardment Groups. From this base, these groups conducted long-range strategic bombing missions against vital enemy targets in Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and the Balkans, playing a significant role in the Allied air campaign to cripple the Axis war machine. The ICAO code IT-0570 is a modern, non-official designation for the historical site, not its wartime identifier.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Borgo Mezzanone Air Base. The original facility was dismantled nearly 80 years ago, and the land is now used for critical civilian purposes (agriculture and a large government reception center). The region is served by the Foggia 'Gino Lisa' Airport (IATA: FOG, ICAO: LIBF) for civil aviation needs, making the redevelopment of the old military site for aviation purposes economically and logistically unfeasible.