Konush Airstrip

The closure was due to fundamental economic and political changes in Bulgaria. The airstrip was part of a state-run agricultural aviation network that supported large, collective farms. After 1989, this system was dismantled. The state-owned agricultural aviation company was dissolved, the collective farms were broken up into smaller private plots, and the economic model that sustained a dense network of such airstrips no longer existed. The closure was not due to a specific accident or military conversion, but rather a systemic economic shift.

The site is abandoned and in a state of complete disuse for aviation. Satellite imagery shows the faint outline of the former grass runway, which is now overgrown with vegetation and partially encroached upon by the surrounding farmland. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or infrastructure. The land is essentially being reclaimed by nature and agriculture.

Konush Airstrip was a typical 'Selskostopansko Letishte' (Селскостопанско летище), meaning 'Agricultural Airfield'. It was an integral part of Bulgaria's socialist-era agricultural infrastructure. Its primary and sole purpose was to support agricultural aviation in the fertile Upper Thracian Plain, one of Bulgaria's most important farming regions. Operations consisted almost exclusively of crop dusting, aerial seeding, and pest control. The aircraft that operated from this unpaved, grass runway were typically rugged utility planes like the Antonov An-2 and the Zlín Z-37 Čmelák.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Konush Airstrip. The economic case for its revival is non-existent, as modern agricultural practices in the region do not rely on such infrastructure. Reinstating it for general or sport aviation would require significant private investment to clear and restore the runway and build new facilities, which is considered highly unlikely given its remote location and the availability of other active airfields in the Plovdiv region.