Uzundzhovo Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the large-scale restructuring and downsizing of the Bulgarian Armed Forces after the end of the Cold War. Key factors included the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, which reduced the strategic need for numerous frontline air bases, significant national economic constraints, and the gradual obsolescence of the MiG-21 aircraft stationed there.

The site has been repurposed for non-aviation use. A significant portion of the former base, including barracks and administrative buildings, was converted into a large Registration and Reception Center for asylum seekers and refugees, operated by the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees. It is one of the largest such facilities in the country. The expansive runway and aprons, though no longer maintained for aviation, are frequently used to host large public events, most notably automotive festivals, car shows, and drag racing competitions.

Established in the early 1950s, Uzundzhovo Air Base was a crucial frontline air defense installation for the Bulgarian Air Force throughout the Cold War. Its strategic location near the borders of NATO members Greece and Turkey made it a vital component of the Warsaw Pact's southern flank. The base was home to the 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment (19-ти изтребителен авиополк), which flew a succession of Soviet-made jet fighters. While initially equipped with aircraft like the MiG-17 and MiG-19, the base is most famously associated with operating various models of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name: Fishbed). Its primary mission was air defense, interception of potential intruders, and maintaining air superiority over Bulgaria's southern border.

There are no active or funded plans to reopen Uzundzhovo as an operational airport. Over the years, various proposals have been floated by local government and business circles to redevelop the site into a civilian airport for cargo and/or passenger traffic, capitalizing on its location near major transport corridors and the borders with Turkey and Greece. However, these plans have consistently stalled due to significant challenges, including the prohibitive cost of renovating the runway and building modern terminal and navigation infrastructure, the established presence of the refugee center on the property, and the questionable economic viability given the proximity of the existing international airport in Plovdiv.