Graf Ignatievo South Airport

The airport's closure is directly linked to the major political and economic shifts in Bulgaria following the fall of the socialist regime in 1989. This airfield was primarily used for agricultural aviation. With the collapse of the state-run collective farming system and the subsequent privatization and bankruptcy of the state agricultural aviation operator (Selksostopanska Aviatsia - SSA), the demand for such services plummeted. The nationwide network of small agricultural airfields, including this one, became economically unviable and was abandoned.

The airport is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery confirms that the single asphalt runway, while still clearly visible, is in a state of severe decay. It is cracked, weathered, and significantly overgrown with grass and weeds, rendering it unusable for any form of aviation. Any associated support buildings are likely in ruins or have been repurposed for local agricultural storage. The site is not maintained and has no current official function.

Graf Ignatievo South was not a public or major military airport. Its significance lies in its role as a service and utility airfield for the agricultural sector during Bulgaria's socialist era. It was part of an extensive network of similar airfields across the country dedicated to agricultural aviation (ag-aviation). Operations primarily consisted of crop dusting, aerial spraying for pest control, and fertilization of the vast farmlands in the fertile Upper Thracian Plain surrounding Plovdiv. The typical aircraft used for these tasks would have been the rugged Antonov An-2 biplane and possibly the PZL-106 Kruk. It is important to distinguish it from the major, active Graf Ignatievo Air Base (ICAO: LBPG) located immediately to the north, which is a key fighter base for the Bulgarian Air Force. This southern strip was a separate, civilian-use facility.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Graf Ignatievo South Airport. The cost of restoring the runway and infrastructure to a usable state would be substantial. Furthermore, its close proximity to the active and sensitive airspace of the main Graf Ignatievo military airbase would create significant operational and security challenges. Given the lack of a clear economic driver for a small general or agricultural aviation field in that specific location, its reopening is considered highly improbable.