1. Nicosia International Airport, Cyprus
2. Johnston Atoll Airport, USA
Built on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a couple of hundred miles from Hawaii, this airport was a US military base for majority of the 20th century and home to 400 men with an underground hospital. During WW2, Japanese submarines attacked the base.
3. Ellinikon International Airport, Athens, Greece
Source: (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
Ellinikon is located just four miles outside of Athens, it was opened in 1938, but was quickly taken over by the Nazis who used it as Luftwaffe base during World War Two. The airport became the home of Olympic airlines, infact some of their decommissioned airliners including a 747 jumbo jet still sit there. The opening of the new Athens airport for the 2004 Olympics led to the end of the line for Ellinikon and it closed in 2001. Weirdly the grounds and facilities were used for part of the Olympics but they now sit unused.
4. Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport, Spain
Even though it was officially opened in March 2011, costing 150 million euros, there hasn’t been a single plane that has taken off from or landed at Castellon-Costa Azahar Airport. The statue shown in the photo is in honour of local politician Carlos Fabra, who was responsible for the airports construction near Valencia. He is now under investigation for tax evasion and corruption.
5. Don Quijote Airport, Spain
Costing a whooping 1.1 billion euros, Don Quijote Airport was Spain’s first (and last) private international airport. Fifty minutes from Madrid on a high speed rail, the airport was created in the 90s. It went bankrupt and shut down in April 2012.
6. Stapleton International Airport, USA
Between 1929 and 1995, Stapleton International Airport was the gateway to Denver, Colorado, however it was replaced by Denver International. In July 1997 a storm hit and caused damage to its structure causing it to be knocked down completely, only leaving behind one old control tower.
7. Berlin Templehof, Germany
Until the Pentagon was built in the USA, this German airport was the largest building in the world. Constructed in 1923, after playing a key factor in the Berlin Airlift for 85 years Berlin-Tempelhof closed to passengers in October 2008. Today the airfield is the largest public park in the city and the airport terminals host events all year round.
8. Croydon Airport, England
Known as one of the three iconic pre-World War 2 airports in Europe, it is famous for being the first airport with traffic control. Famous figures including Amy Johnson and Winston Churchill have jetted off along its runway, which actually crossed a road! Today, the old Airport House still stands.
9. Gaza International Airport, Gaza Strip
Opening in 1998, this airport served 700,000 passengers year, however Israeli forces shelled its radar station and control tower forcing it to shut down in December 2001. The runway was bulldozed a few weeks later.
10. Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, USA
Situated in the California Desert, this airfield was used to film the famous Independence Day blockbuster movie. This was shut down in 1999.
11. Kai Tak International Airport, Hong Kong
Kai Tek International served as Hong Kong’s main airport for 73 years, but sadly closed in 1998 after traffic moved to the new Hong Kong International Airport. It was surrounded by beautiful scenery making the take-offs and landings extra special.
12. RAF Binbrook, England
RAF Binbrook, near Lincolnshire was used by bombers during the Second World War and didn’t stop aiding the Air Force until the 1980s.
13. Galeville, Shawangunk, USA
This small airfield in New York, which was built in World War Two, was used for a military academy as well as operating as a civilian airport. It is now part of the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge.
14. Floyd Bennett Field, New York, USA
Replaced by Newark Airport in New Jersey, Floyd Bennett Field was previously one of NYC’s major airports. These days it is a public park.
15.Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, USA
The only thing that remains at Robert Municiple Airport is the old control tower after it closed in 1999 due to being replaced by the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.
16. Chanute AFB, Ranoul, IL USA
Chanute AFB was opened in Rantoul, Illinois in 1917 to train pilots flying in World War I, the base would become a major training center for pilots and support personnel for 75 years. It started to close in 1993 and many of the buildings have remained empty and decaying since that day.
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