Aerodromo de Pias Longas (Old - Closed)

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic and regulatory factors. Small, private airfields (aeródromos) for ultralight and general aviation in Portugal face significant challenges, including high maintenance costs, stringent safety regulations from the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), and land-use pressures. The airfield likely became financially unsustainable for its owners/operators, who subsequently repurposed the land for more profitable commercial use. There is no evidence of a major accident or military conversion leading to the closure.

The site is no longer an active airfield and is completely unusable for aviation. Satellite imagery shows the single runway is heavily overgrown with grass and vegetation, and parts of it are used for storing materials. The main hangar and adjacent buildings appear to have been repurposed for industrial or agricultural storage by a private company. A large solar panel farm has been constructed on the land immediately adjacent to the former runway, indicating a definitive shift in land use towards energy production and industry.

Aerodromo de Pias Longas was never a commercial airport but served as a significant local hub for recreational and general aviation. Its primary role was as a base for ultralight aircraft (ULM / ultraleves) and light sport aircraft. It was home to a local flying club and provided a facility for flight training, private pilot leisure flights, and aviation enthusiasts in the Santarém district. Its proximity to the major pilgrimage site of Fátima also made it a convenient, albeit private, landing spot for some general aviation pilots visiting the region. The ICAO code PT-0054 was a national, unofficial identifier used for VFR (Visual Flight Rules) navigation and not a standard international code.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Aerodromo de Pias Longas. The significant degradation of the runway, the repurposing of the infrastructure for commercial use, and the construction of the adjacent solar farm make a return to aviation activities extremely unlikely and financially unfeasible. The original community of pilots has likely relocated to other active airfields in the region.