Vicenza (VI), IT 🇮🇹 Closed Airport
IT-0802
-
128 ft
IT-34
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 45.573399° N, 11.5295° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: T Dal Molin LIPT VIC
Loading weather data...
Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
18/36 |
4921 ft | 98 ft | ASP | Active Lighted |
Type | Description | Frequency |
---|---|---|
APP | TREVISO APP | 36.23 MHz |
APP | TREVISO APP | 120.4 MHz |
OPS | GRIT OPS AFA | 55.1 MHz |
TWR | TWR | 130.4 MHz |
The airport was officially and permanently closed to all civilian traffic in 2008. The demolition of the runway and civilian structures began shortly thereafter to make way for new construction.
The primary reason for the closure was military conversion. The airport grounds were expropriated for the expansion of the adjacent U.S. Army base, Caserma Ederle. The project, known as 'Dal Molin', involved building a new installation to consolidate U.S. Army forces in Vicenza, specifically to house the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The decision was a strategic military one, made despite significant and prolonged local protests against the base expansion and loss of the civilian airport.
The site of the former Vicenza Airport has been completely transformed. The runway, taxiways, and civilian terminal have been demolished. The area is now fully integrated into the U.S. Army Garrison Italy and is the location of 'Camp Del Din'. This installation houses units of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and includes barracks, headquarters buildings, a fitness center, a dining facility, and other critical military support infrastructure. There is no longer any functioning airport or runway on the original site.
The airport was officially named 'Aeroporto Tommaso Dal Molin' after an Italian aviator. It functioned as a joint-use civil and military airport for decades. Historically, it was a significant Royal Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) base before and during World War II. After the war, it continued to serve the Italian Air Force while also hosting U.S. Army aviation units. The civilian side, managed by the company Aeroporti Vicentini S.p.A., handled general aviation, business jets, charter flights, and some limited seasonal commercial traffic. The ICAO code LIPV was associated with the military airfield, while the designation IT-0802 (as provided in the query) likely referred to its status as a minor civil airfield or 'aviosuperficie' within the Italian system.
There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been permanently and completely redeveloped for military use by the U.S. Army. The original airport infrastructure is gone, and the site is now a critical component of the U.S. military presence in Europe, making any future conversion back to a civilian airport logistically and politically infeasible.
No comment, just look at the image!