Batishnitsa Cropduster Strip

Economic reasons following the collapse of the socialist system in Bulgaria in 1989. The airfield was part of a vast, state-run agricultural aviation network ('Selskostopanska Aviatsiya') that served large, state-owned collective farms (TKZS). With the transition to a market economy, the privatization of land, and the dissolution of the collective farms, the centralized and heavily subsidized agricultural aviation system became economically unsustainable. The network was dismantled, and its numerous airfields, including Batishnitsa, were abandoned.

The site is abandoned and in a state of decay. Satellite imagery of the location shows a clearly defined but dilapidated runway, heavily cracked and overgrown with grass and weeds. The adjacent buildings, likely former small hangars, storage, or administrative facilities, appear to be derelict. The land is not actively used for any purpose and stands as a relic of a bygone era, surrounded by active agricultural fields.

The Batishnitsa strip was a functional and vital piece of local agricultural infrastructure during the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Its sole purpose was to support agricultural aviation. It primarily handled operations for crop dusting, aerial spraying of pesticides and herbicides, and fertilization of the large, collectivized fields in the region. The main aircraft type operating from such strips was the rugged and versatile Antonov An-2. The airfield was one of hundreds of similar strips across the country that formed the backbone of Bulgaria's industrialized agriculture under the planned economy.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen the Batishnitsa Cropduster Strip. The economic model for which it was built no longer exists. Modern Bulgarian agriculture utilizes ground-based machinery, smaller private farms, and increasingly, drone technology for crop spraying, making a fixed-wing airfield of this type obsolete for its original purpose. The cost to restore the runway and facilities to meet modern aviation safety standards would be prohibitive with no foreseeable demand. The airport is considered permanently closed.