Balomir (Sibot) Airfield

Primarily economic reasons tied to major political and structural changes in Romania. The airfield's main purpose was to support state-run agricultural operations. After 1989, the communist-era collective farming system (CAP - Cooperative Agricole de Producție) was dismantled, and the state-owned utility aviation company (Aviația Utilitară) was downsized and restructured. This led to a sharp decline in demand for agricultural aviation, rendering small, rural airfields like Balomir obsolete and economically unsustainable.

The site has been completely repurposed. A large photovoltaic power plant (solar farm) has been constructed directly on top of the former runway, taxiways, and surrounding areas. While the faint outline of the original runway is still visible in some satellite images, it is now covered by rows of solar panels. The airfield is entirely non-operational and its infrastructure has been permanently converted for renewable energy generation.

Balomir Airfield was a utility airfield ('aerodrom utilitar') whose primary function was agricultural aviation. Located in a fertile agricultural region in the Mureș River valley, its main role was to serve as a base for crop-dusting and aerial spraying aircraft. Operations were likely conducted using aircraft common in Romania's utility fleet, such as the Antonov An-2 and the domestically produced IAR-818. It was part of a vast, nationwide network of similar airfields that were essential for the centralized agricultural economy during the communist era, helping to maximize crop yields through aerial application of fertilizers and pesticides.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The presence of a large, permanent solar park on the site makes any future aviation use virtually impossible. Reopening would require the costly removal of the entire power plant and a complete reconstruction of the aviation infrastructure, making it an unfeasible project.