Padarsko Airstrip

The airstrip's closure was a direct result of major economic and political changes in Bulgaria following the fall of the communist regime in 1989. Its primary operator was the state-owned 'Agricultural Aviation' enterprise. With the dissolution of the large, state-run collective farms (TKZS) and the subsequent collapse and privatization of the state aviation company, the economic basis for this and hundreds of other similar airstrips vanished. There was no longer a centralized system requiring a vast network of airfields for large-scale crop dusting, leading to its abandonment due to economic non-viability.

The site of the former Padarsko Airstrip has been fully reclaimed for agricultural purposes. Satellite imagery shows that the land where the runway once existed is now a cultivated field, completely integrated with the surrounding farmland. The faint outline of the former grass/dirt runway is barely discernible. There are no remaining aviation-related structures such as hangars, sheds, or markings. The site is physically and functionally no longer an airfield.

Padarsko Airstrip was a typical 'selkostopansko letishte' (селскостопанско летище), or agricultural airfield, built during Bulgaria's socialist era. Its significance was purely utilitarian and crucial for the region's industrialized agriculture. It was part of a dense national network of airfields used for aerial application of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Operations were primarily conducted using robust, specialized aircraft like the Antonov An-2 and the Zlín Z-37 Čmelák. The airstrip served the vast, fertile agricultural lands of the Upper Thracian Plain surrounding Plovdiv. It had no known military or passenger transport role; its sole purpose was to support the agricultural sector.

There are no known plans, proposals, or prospects for reopening the Padarsko Airstrip. The original economic need for such a facility no longer exists in its previous form. Modern agricultural practices often rely on advanced ground machinery or, for aerial applications, more flexible solutions like drones or specialized services that do not require a permanent, dedicated airstrip. Given that the land has been fully converted back to productive farmland, any effort to reopen it would be economically prohibitive and lack a clear purpose. The prospect for reopening is considered to be non-existent.