Lyubenova Mahala Cropduster Airstrip (disused)

Economic reasons. The airstrip was part of the state-owned agricultural aviation network ('Selsko-Stopanska Aviacia' - SSA). This system was designed to serve large, state-run collective farms. After the fall of the socialist regime in 1989, these collectives were dissolved, and agricultural land was privatized and fragmented. This eliminated the economic basis for a large-scale, state-managed crop-dusting network, leading to the abandonment of hundreds of such airstrips across the country, including Lyubenova Mahala.

The site is abandoned and in a state of disuse. Satellite imagery shows a clearly defined, but heavily degraded, paved runway. It is overgrown with grass and cracks, making it completely unsuitable for any aviation. The surrounding land is actively used for agriculture, and the former runway strip appears to be used informally as an access road for farm machinery.

The airstrip was a typical agricultural aviation airfield, crucial to the socialist-era agricultural model in Bulgaria. Its primary function was to support aerial application operations for the surrounding collective farms. Operations included crop dusting, pest control, and fertilization. The main aircraft used for these tasks from such airstrips was the Antonov An-2, and sometimes the Zlín Z-37 Čmelák. It was an integral part of a vast infrastructure network that enabled the intensive, large-scale farming practices of the time.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the airstrip. Its original purpose is now obsolete due to fundamental changes in Bulgaria's agricultural sector. The land is likely privately owned, and the cost of restoring the infrastructure would be substantial with no clear economic incentive. The site is expected to remain abandoned or be fully reclaimed for agricultural use.