Grădiștea Airfield

The closure was a direct result of strategic and economic changes. With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the airfield's role as a reserve/dispersal base for the air defense of Bucharest became strategically obsolete. The subsequent downsizing of the Romanian Armed Forces and the high costs associated with maintaining non-essential bases led to its decommissioning for economic reasons.

The site is currently abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The main concrete runway, taxiways, and many of the hardened aircraft shelters are still visible but are heavily weathered, cracked, and significantly overgrown with vegetation. The land is not in any official use for aviation. It is popular with urban explorers and is sometimes used unofficially for recreational activities like car meetings, drag racing, and drone flying. Parts of the surrounding land may have been returned to agricultural use. It is important to note that a separate, modern private ultralight airfield, 'Aerodromul Comana' (also known as Motodelta), operates nearby, but it is a distinct entity and does not use the infrastructure of the old military base.

Built during the Cold War, likely in the 1950s, Grădiștea Airfield was a key military installation for the Romanian Air Force (Forțele Aeriene Române). Its primary purpose was to serve as a dispersal and reserve airfield for fighter aircraft tasked with the air defense of the capital, Bucharest. It was designed to operate Soviet-era jet fighters such as the MiG-15, MiG-17, and later the MiG-21. The base featured a robust concrete runway (approximately 2500m x 60m) and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) designed to protect aircraft from a potential first strike. It was part of a strategic network of military airfields surrounding the capital, ensuring operational redundancy and survivability in case of a conflict.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Grădiștea Airfield as a functional airport. The infrastructure is in a severe state of disrepair and would require a complete and costly reconstruction. The original strategic military need for the base is gone, and its redevelopment for major civil aviation is economically unviable given its proximity to Bucharest's main international airport, Henri Coandă (Otopeni). The local general aviation and recreational flying needs are adequately served by the smaller, private Comana airfield.