Pavlikeni Cropduster Strip

The closure was for economic and structural reasons. The strip was an agricultural airfield built to serve the state-owned agricultural aviation operator (Селскостопанска авиация - SSA) and the large, socialist-era collective farms (ТКЗС). With the fall of the communist regime, this entire system was dissolved:
1. **Liquidation of State Operator:** The state-owned SSA was broken up and its assets were privatized or scrapped, eliminating the primary operator using these airfields.
2. **Land Privatization:** The large collective farms were dismantled and the land was returned to private owners, ending the need for large-scale, centralized aerial spraying operations that required such infrastructure.
3. **Lack of Economic Viability:** Without state subsidies and the collective farming system, there was no economic basis for maintaining a dedicated airstrip for agricultural purposes in this specific location.

The site is completely abandoned and defunct as an airfield. Satellite imagery at the coordinates 43.2595, 25.3123 clearly shows the remnants of a single, unpaved (grass/dirt) runway. The runway outline is still visible but is heavily overgrown with vegetation and is now used as a simple farm track or access road for agricultural vehicles. The surrounding area is actively cultivated farmland. Any support buildings that may have existed, such as sheds or small hangars, are either gone or in a state of advanced decay, likely repurposed for farm storage. The site is not maintained and is entirely unsuitable for any aviation activity.

Pavlikeni Cropduster Strip was a key piece of the highly developed agricultural infrastructure in the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Its significance was purely functional and logistical. Located in one of Bulgaria's most fertile agricultural regions, its sole purpose was to support agricultural aviation. Operations were conducted by light aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2 biplane, but also the Zlin Z-37 Čmelák and Ka-26 helicopters. These aircraft performed essential tasks such as crop dusting (pesticides/herbicides), aerial seeding, and fertilization over the vast, state-managed fields. The strip was part of a dense, nationwide network of hundreds of similar airfields that enabled the centrally-planned agricultural economy to function efficiently. The identifier BG-0115, while not a standard ICAO code, signifies it was a registered landing site within the national VFR system.

There are no known plans, discussions, or realistic prospects for reopening the Pavlikeni Cropduster Strip. The economic and agricultural model it was designed for no longer exists in Bulgaria. Modern private farming operations are smaller in scale and, if they require aerial services, they typically contract private companies that operate more flexibly, often from larger regional airports or temporary sites. The land itself is more valuable for agricultural cultivation, and there is no economic, commercial, or general aviation demand that would justify the significant investment needed to restore the airfield.