The small airfield near Vrsar is closed in the middle of the season. The trigger was not a flight accident, but the lack of proof that the previous operator is allowed to continue to use the municipal areas.
The airfield is closed – but not due to an accident
The airfield of Vrsar/Crljenka cannot be used regularly at the moment. The Croatian civil aviation agency CCAA withdrew the permission to use the airfield from the Aeroklub Vrsar on 25 June 2026; the facility was practically closed according to the published reports on 12 August. Planned approaches had to evade to other places.
The official reason is legal and operational: after a decision by the municipality of Vrsar, the Aeroklub was no longer able to provide the necessary proof of ownership or use for the areas of runway and ancillary facilities. The decision does not describe an accident and in itself does not prove any technical defect of the runway.
Three decisions led to closure
Until June, the land use of the Aeroclub was based on a municipal decision of December 2023. The municipality abolished this basis on 8 June 2026. Because the relevant rules for an operating licence require ownership or a secured right of use, the CCAA granted the withdrawal of the permit on 25 June.
The parties argue about delivery and the timing. The Aeroklub says that he received the decision only on 11 August by e-mail and had very little time until the closure. The agency remains in its justification that after the removal of the area proof a mandatory condition was no longer fulfilled.
Vrsar/Crljenka · Decision
How an aerodrome was shut down from a land dispute
Why ownership and operation are two different roles
The municipality owns central plots of the airfield. This does not automatically follow that it is itself an airfield operator. Conversely, an aeroclub may have built up buildings, runways and flight operations for decades without being the owner of all the parcels used for this purpose. For an authorisation, these rolls must be connected to each other by a resilient legal ground.
It is precisely this connection that is now controversial. The CCAA decides on the aeronautical approval, not on who is economically attributable to previous investments or which future operator model would be the best politically. These questions lie with the municipality, Aeroklub and, if necessary, with the courts.
Twelve aircraft were not permanently trapped
At the beginning it was said that twelve foreign aircraft could not leave the closed space. The CCAA contradicted the statement that the machines were fixed without a way out: the Aeroclub's responsible person had been given procedures for individual departures from a closed airfield. Later reports say that departures were made possible.
This means that the short-term load remains real, but narrower than the dramatic formulation of inclusion. Regular take-offs and landings are something else than an officially coordinated individual permit, with which already parked aircraft safely leave a closed place.
The aeroclub and municipality tell two different stories about the future
The Aeroklub refers to almost five decades of construction work, own investments, training and sports business as well as the tourist importance of private pilots. He has announced legal steps or according to media information and denies that the municipality was allowed to simply end the previous usage model.
The municipality, on the other hand, says that it does not want to abandon the airfield, but wants to clarify ownership, responsibility, investment and safety requirements. It is called renovation, year-round operation and professional development. These are goals, not yet approved reopening, no designated new operator and no published schedule.
What pilots and visitors need to know now
Vrsar was not a scheduled airport with a regular passenger program, but a place for general, sporting and tourist aviation. Those who plan to Istria with a small aircraft must not therefore assume the former accessibility. Current aviation information, the CCAA and the flight preparation of the responsible pilot are decisive.
For normal Croatian travellers, the closure does not change the operation of Pula Airport nor the road journey to Vrsar. The affected are mainly private and sports flyers, air school, aero club and local companies, which benefited from these guests. Concrete alternate places must be chosen on the basis of registration, customs requirements, weather and flight schedule.
The reliable interim assessment
The withdrawal of the permit, the abolition of the municipal use decision and the current closure are documented. It is also proven that the municipality and the Aeroklub argue about the legal basis, investments and future control.
In order to reopen, it is necessary once again to have an operator who fulfils all the requirements, including a secure territorial right, and to have an appropriate aeronautical permit.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
- Aeroklubu Vrsar se oduzima odobrenje za uporabu aerodroma Vrsar/CrljenkaHrvatska agencija za civilno zrakoplovstvo · 13 August 2026Official reason for authorisation withdrawal and procedures for departures of aeroplanes already in service
- Bitka za aerodrom: Aeroclub podignuo dvije tužbe protiv Općine VrsarGlas Istre · 16 August 2026Full CCAA statement, data of decisions and judicial conflict
- Zrakoplovna inspekcija zatvorila aerodrom u VrsaruGlas Istre · 13 August 2026Closing time, positions of aeroclub and municipality and affected approaches
- Aeroclub tvrdi da Općina želi preuzeti aerodromGlas Istre · 24 August 2026updated aero-club position, departure of the parked machines and open dispute
