Cotroceni Airfield

Urban expansion and obsolescence. As Bucharest grew rapidly in the early 20th century, the airfield was engulfed by new construction. Its functions were transferred to larger, more modern, and more peripheral airports like Băneasa (which became Bucharest's main airport in the 1920s) and later Otopeni.

The site of the former airfield is now a densely populated and developed urban area in central Bucharest, encompassing parts of the Cotroceni and Grozăvești neighborhoods. The land is occupied by the extensive campus of the Politehnica University of Bucharest, residential apartment blocks, the Carrefour Orhideea shopping center, the Basarab Overpass, and other city infrastructure. There are no physical traces or memorials of the airfield remaining on the site itself.

Cotroceni Airfield is considered the cradle of Romanian aviation. It was the site of numerous pioneering events:
- **First Flight School:** Romania's first piloting school was established here in 1911, founded by Prince George Valentin Bibescu, a key figure in early Romanian and international aviation.
- **Aurel Vlaicu's Flight:** On June 17, 1910, the renowned Romanian inventor and pilot Aurel Vlaicu successfully flew his self-constructed airplane, the 'Vlaicu I', for the first time from this field. This event is a cornerstone of Romanian technological and national history.
- **Military Hub:** It served as the first major base for the Romanian Air Corps (Corpul de Aviație Român) and was a critical military aviation hub during the Second Balkan War and World War I.

Zero. There are no plans or prospects for reopening. The location is now an integral part of Bucharest's urban core, making the re-establishment of any aviation facility physically and logistically impossible. The airfield exists only as a historical location.