Vardenis Airstrip

The airstrip ceased operations following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The primary reasons for its closure were economic and geopolitical. The centralized Soviet-era funding and operational structure (managed by Aeroflot's regional directorates) that sustained such small, local airfields disappeared. The newly independent Republic of Armenia faced severe economic hardship and could not afford to maintain a network of minor domestic airstrips. Furthermore, the outbreak of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in the late 1980s and early 1990s placed the region under military and security stress, making civilian operations unviable.

The Vardenis Airstrip is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery shows a single asphalt runway that is heavily deteriorated, with numerous cracks, potholes, and vegetation growing through the surface. There are no remaining permanent structures such as a terminal, control tower, or hangars on the site. The area has been stripped of any valuable aviation infrastructure. The former airstrip is now an empty, decaying strip of pavement in the middle of agricultural fields and is occasionally used by locals for driving or as grazing land for livestock. It is a relic of the Soviet transportation network and holds no current aviation function.

Built during the Soviet period, the Vardenis Airstrip was a typical regional airfield designed to connect remote towns with the capital, Yerevan, and other regional centers. Its primary function was to support local passenger and cargo transport, likely utilizing small, rugged aircraft such as the Antonov An-2 and possibly the Yakovlev Yak-40. These flights were essential for bypassing the mountainous terrain that made ground travel slow. In addition to civilian transport, the airstrip also served agricultural purposes, supporting crop-dusting and other aerial work for the surrounding farmlands. Due to its strategic location near the border with the Azerbaijan SSR, it also likely functioned as a reserve military airfield for the Soviet Air Forces.

There are currently no known official plans, government proposals, or private investments aimed at reopening or reconstructing the Vardenis Airstrip. While the Armenian government has successfully rehabilitated other regional airports (such as Syunik Airport in Kapan) to boost tourism and regional connectivity, Vardenis has not been identified as a priority project. The significant cost required to completely rebuild the runway, construct a new terminal, and install modern air navigation and safety equipment, combined with the limited economic demand in the immediate area, makes its revival highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.