Cuatro Vientos Air Base

Cuatro Vientos Air Base is located 8 km from the center of Madrid, Spain, in the Latina district. Established in 1911, it is one of the two oldest aviation facilities in Spain and served as a primary site for the Spanish Air Force. In the 1970s, the facility transitioned to joint civil-military use, with the civil sector restricted to general aviation and executive flight operations.

The facility is operated by AENA for civil traffic and the Spanish Air Force for military operations. Since 2020, air traffic control services have been managed by SAERCO. The military sector hosts the Escuela de Técnicas de Mando, Control y Telecomunicaciones (EMACOT), a training center for command, control, telecommunications, and electronics that also instructs Civil Guard radar operators. Additional state units stationed at the base include helicopter divisions for the National Police and the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT). The civil area serves as a base for flight academies such as Aerotec, European Flyers, and Quality Fly, along with the Real Aeroclub de España.

Infrastructure includes three control towers: the 1911 tower, which is a protected cultural site and museum; a decommissioned tower integrated into the terminal building; and a tower commissioned in 2005. The base houses the Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica de España and the Fundación Infante de Orleans (FIO). Military facilities include two helipads and a natural terrain runway designated for historical aircraft operations. Support services include Category 3 firefighting and Exolum fueling stations providing Avgas 100LL and JET fuel.

Urban expansion from the Carabanchel, Latina, and Leganés districts has surrounded the installation with residential and industrial zones, leading to the designation of the site as a VFR-only (Visual Flight Rules) airport. In August 2011, the base hosted the vigil for World Youth Day. The Fundación Infante de Orleans currently utilizes the base for monthly historical flight exhibitions, though the organization has initiated the construction of new facilities at Getafe Air Base for a planned relocation. Long-term regional planning includes proposals to relocate the current operations to a new site between Navalcarnero and El Álamo.