Torremezzo di Falconara Airfield

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic and logistical factors. Key reasons include:
1. **Economic Non-viability**: The airfield failed to generate the expected volume of tourist and general aviation traffic required to cover its high operational, maintenance, and management costs.
2. **Management and Bureaucratic Issues**: The facility reportedly faced significant challenges with local management, navigating Italian aviation bureaucracy, and securing consistent funding and support.
3. **Safety and Location Concerns**: The runway's close proximity to the heavily trafficked Strada Statale 18 (SS18) coastal road and the parallel railway line raised safety and regulatory concerns, making upgrades and compliance with evolving standards difficult and expensive.

The airfield is officially closed and in a state of abandonment. The paved runway is still clearly visible from satellite and ground views but is marked with large white 'X's, the standard international symbol for a permanently closed runway. The tarmac and surrounding area are now primarily used as a large, informal parking lot, especially during the busy summer months, serving the adjacent beach clubs (lidos) and public beaches. The former airfield buildings and infrastructure are derelict.

Torremezzo di Falconara Airfield, known in Italian as an 'aviosuperficie', was built in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Its main purpose was to act as a catalyst for tourism along the Tyrrhenian coast of the Cosenza province. It was designed to serve the general aviation community, accommodating private light aircraft, ultralights, and charter flights for tourists. The airfield provided a convenient access point for private pilots wishing to visit the region and was also used for local scenic flights. It was seen as a strategic piece of infrastructure to enhance the appeal of the area, though it never fully realized its intended potential.

There are no concrete or funded plans to reopen the airfield. The topic has been raised periodically over the years in local political discussions, with proponents highlighting its potential value for modern tourism, civil protection services (such as a base for firefighting aircraft or medical helicopters), or as a flight school. However, significant obstacles remain, including the prohibitive cost of restoring the runway and facilities to meet current safety and regulatory standards, the unresolved safety concerns about its location, and competing ideas for the use of the valuable coastal land. As of now, its reopening remains a local aspiration rather than an active project.