Pápa Air Base

Pápa Air Base is a military installation located near Pápa, Hungary. It is the only active air base in western Hungary. Construction of the site began in 1936. During World War II, the base was utilized by German and Hungarian units, and by 1944, it served as the largest air base of the Royal Hungarian Air Force. The Royal Hungarian Army's 1st Parachute Company was formed at the base on October 1, 1939, before expanding into the 1st Honvéd Parachute Battalion in 1940.

From 1945 until 1961, a Soviet Air Force fighter regiment was stationed at the facility. In 1961, the Hungarian People's Army's Air Force 47th Fighter Regiment was established at the base. The unit operated squadrons of MiG-21 aircraft and later added MiG-23MF and MiG-23UB types to its inventory. In 1992, the regiment was renamed the 47th Pápa Tactical Regiment. Following the disbandment of this regiment in June 2001, the Hungarian Air Force Pápa Air Base was established on July 1, 2001.

The base is a designated NATO reserve base and serves as the Main Operating Base for the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium. It was selected for this role in 2007 and hosts the multinational Heavy Airlift Wing, which was activated in July 2009. The unit operates C-17 aircraft. Infrastructure at the installation includes an air traffic control tower inaugurated in December 2015.