Svilengrad Cropduster Strip

The closure was a direct result of economic changes. The strip was part of a nationwide network supporting state-run agriculture. With the fall of the socialist government, the system of large, collectivized farms was dismantled, and the state-owned agricultural aviation company ('Селскостопанска авиация' - SSA) was privatized and eventually collapsed. This eliminated the economic basis and operational demand for hundreds of such specialized airfields across the country, including the one in Svilengrad.

The site of the former airfield is no longer recognizable as an aviation facility. A significant portion of the land, including the former runway area, has been redeveloped and is now occupied by a large photovoltaic power station (solar park). The remaining parts of the original strip are overgrown with vegetation and have effectively returned to being agricultural or derelict land.

The Svilengrad Cropduster Strip was a vital piece of infrastructure for the regional agricultural economy during Bulgaria's socialist era (pre-1989). Its sole purpose was to serve as a base for agricultural aircraft. Operations primarily involved crop dusting, aerial seeding, fertilization, and pest control for the large, state-managed cooperative farms in the fertile Thracian plain around Svilengrad. The most commonly used aircraft for these tasks was the Antonov An-2. The strip had no scheduled passenger services, general aviation traffic, or significant military role; its importance was purely utilitarian and agricultural.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The construction of a permanent industrial installation (the solar park) on the site makes any future use for aviation physically and economically unfeasible. The original infrastructure is gone, and the land has been permanently repurposed.