Aerodromo Fátima Giesteira

The closure was mandated by aviation authorities for safety reasons. The primary factors included non-compliance with evolving safety regulations, specifically the presence of significant obstacles in the flight path, such as high-voltage power lines and trees. Additionally, its short (approx. 600 meters), unpaved grass/dirt runway was deemed inadequate for ensuring safe and reliable operations.

The site is completely abandoned and derelict. The former runway is heavily overgrown with grass and shrubs, though its outline is still visible in satellite imagery. The area has not been redeveloped and remains rural, surrounded by fields and olive groves. The obstacles that contributed to its closure, particularly the power lines, are still in place, making the location unsuitable for aviation.

Inaugurated on May 12, 1991, the Aeródromo Fátima Giesteira was a private airfield operated by the Aero Clube de Fátima. Its primary purpose was to support general aviation and boost tourism by providing direct air access for pilgrims and private pilots visiting the major international religious shrine of Fátima. It handled light aircraft, such as Cessnas and Pipers, as well as ultralights, operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Its existence, though brief, highlighted the long-standing desire for an air link to one of the world's most important Catholic pilgrimage sites.

There are zero prospects for reopening the Aeródromo Fátima Giesteira. The original safety and infrastructural deficiencies make its reactivation unfeasible. Over the years, various local business and political groups have proposed building a new, modern airport or heliport in the Fátima region to cater to tourism, but these proposals are for entirely new facilities at different locations and have not yet materialized. The original PT-0038 site is considered permanently closed.