Washington Executive Airport Hyde-Field Finally Laid to Rest

MD – Washington Executive Airport, also known as Hyde Field, never really recovered from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The final day for aircraft owners and businesses to clear out was November 30, under a bankruptcy court ruling.

The exodus followed two decades of uncertainty about the future of the airport, one of the Maryland three, where special security procedures have been in place since 2002. Then, in early 2020, airport owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after which it was clear to the Hyde Field community that a sale or closure of the airport was imminent.

The proximity of these airports to the capital requires pilots to complete the Washington D.C. Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) course, apply for a personal identification number, obtain a background check and provide fingerprints to a Maryland Three airport security representative.

The complicated arrival procedures at these airports deter many pilots from attempting to enter the FRZ for fear of violating the SFRA/FRZ boundaries, resulting in financial challenges brought on by the lack of traffic.

The toll this has taken on Hyde Field is evident. Empty hangars are covered with overgrown foliage, and the airport’s only runway, 5/23, is a discouraging sight, with grass poking through the pavement.

A final word from the bankruptcy lawyer arrived in October that all tenants must vacate the premises within 30 days. The property was expected to sell for around $7.5 million as of mid-November, with plans to use the land for mixed-use redevelopment.

Perhaps the biggest concern surrounding the closure, especially with such short notice, was the fate of the aircraft based at the field. At the time of the announcement, around 30 aircraft were stored on the field, and owners were left with little time to evacuate—some with decades of accumulated property—and find tie-downs or join a waiting list for a hangar amid an ongoing, nationwide storage of space.

AOPA Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins echoed tenants’ concerns: “There simply are not enough hangars at other airports to accommodate those who are already in hangars and expected to be displaced,” Collins said. “While the loss of Hyde is unfortunate, it highlights and exacerbates the industry’s hangar needs as we head into the snow season.”