Kirai Airfield

The airfield was closed due to economic reasons and a shift in agricultural practices. Its primary operator, the Kagawa Prefecture Agriculture and Forestry Aviation Corps (香川県農林航空隊), was disbanded. The decision was driven by the high operational and maintenance costs of the helicopters and facilities, coupled with a significant decrease in demand for aerial pesticide spraying as farming methods evolved and the farming population aged.

The site of the former Kirai Airfield has been repurposed. A large-scale solar power generation facility, known as a mega-solar plant, now occupies most of the land, including the former runway/helipad area. While the outline of the original airfield is still visible from satellite imagery, its primary function is now renewable energy production. The land is owned by the prefecture and leased for this purpose.

Kirai Airfield was not a public airport for passenger or cargo transport. Its specific purpose was to serve as the operational base for the Kagawa Prefecture Agriculture and Forestry Aviation Corps. Its operations were crucial for the region's agricultural sector from its establishment until its closure. The primary mission was the aerial application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on rice paddies and other farmland throughout Kagawa Prefecture using helicopters. It also conducted missions for forest pest control (such as against the pine weevil), agricultural surveying, and potentially assisted in prefectural disaster monitoring. The airfield represented a period of agricultural modernization in Japan where aerial support was a key component of productivity.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kirai Airfield for aviation purposes. The original operating body has been dissolved for two decades, the core agricultural need it served has diminished, and the land has been committed to a long-term alternative use as a solar farm. The region's general aviation needs are served by the nearby Takamatsu Airport (IATA: TAK, ICAO: RJOT).