🇧🇾 Shchuchyn Airport

The Shchuchyn airfield (associated with the identifier BY-9938) is located east of the city of Shchuchyn, Grodno Region, Belarus.

• Type of facility: This is a former Soviet military airbase that has transitioned into a civilian airfield, primarily for light-engine aviation.
• Location and basic runway information: The airfield, built in 1939, originally had a dirt runway. It was later rebuilt in the 1950s with a 2,500-meter concrete runway to accommodate jet aircraft. While some concrete slabs were dismantled after its closure, a portion of the concrete runway was cleared in 2013 for light aviation use.
• Known uses:
• Historical: During the Soviet era, Shchuchyn was a major military airbase that hosted various aviation regiments, including those with strategic aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It was home to units like the 10th Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment and the 979th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
• Current: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the airbase was closed and eventually transferred to city authorities in 2005. It is now a functioning civilian (private) airfield managed by the Public-Youth Association of Aviation Enthusiasts "Tochny" and supports the development of small light-engine aviation. Aviation festivals are also held there, and some former hangars are available for rent.
• Historical significance: Shchuchyn was one of the largest Soviet airbases, with its military aviation history dating back to 1939.