Göyçay Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons. Under the Soviet system, a vast network of small airfields was centrally funded and operated, often by Aeroflot's local divisions or state agricultural enterprises. After Azerbaijan gained independence, the subsidies and state-managed system that supported such small-scale operations vanished. The airfield became economically unviable to maintain and operate. The decline in the planned economy also eliminated the demand for its services, such as agricultural aviation and subsidized local transport, which were largely replaced by more cost-effective road transport.

The site is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery of the coordinates reveals the faint but clear outline of a single, unpaved runway. The runway surface is severely deteriorated, overgrown with grass and vegetation, and unusable for any aircraft. There are no visible signs of any remaining airport infrastructure such as hangars, a terminal, or control tower. The land is returning to its natural state and is surrounded by active agricultural fields.

Göyçay Airport was a typical Soviet-era local airfield (аэродром). Its main purpose was likely agricultural aviation, serving the surrounding farmlands. Göyçay is a major agricultural center in Azerbaijan, famous for its pomegranates, and the airfield would have supported crop dusting, seeding, and aerial spraying. Operations were likely conducted using light utility aircraft, most commonly the Antonov An-2. It may have also handled very limited local passenger or cargo flights and potentially served as a base for air ambulance services or pilot training under the Soviet DOSAAF program (Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet). It held local, rather than national or strategic, importance.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen Göyçay Airport. The government of Azerbaijan's current aviation development strategy is focused on its major international airports (like Baku, Ganja, and Lankaran) and the construction of new, modern airports in strategic locations (such as Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin). The economic case for investing in the reconstruction of a small, rural airfield like Göyçay is non-existent, as there is no significant demand for aviation services in the immediate area that cannot be met by road transport or the existing national airport network.