Käina Airfield

Military abandonment following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The airfield was a Soviet Air Force reserve base, and with the restoration of Estonian independence and the subsequent withdrawal of Soviet troops (completed by 1994), the facility lost its strategic purpose. The newly independent Estonian state had no military or economic need for a second large airfield on the island, leading to its abandonment.

The airfield is abandoned and in a state of disrepair. The concrete runway and taxiways remain largely intact but are weathered, cracked, and overgrown with vegetation in places. The site is not maintained for aviation and all associated military infrastructure has been removed or has fallen into ruin. The long, straight runway has found a new purpose for local recreational and motorsport events, including drag racing (e.g., 'Käina Kiirendus'), drifting competitions, and driver training. It is a popular, albeit unofficial, venue for such activities.

Käina Airfield was a strategic military asset built during the Soviet occupation of Estonia. Its primary function was to serve as a 'zapasnoy aerodrom' (reserve airfield) for the Soviet Air Force. Located on the strategically important island of Hiiumaa, it provided dispersal capability for tactical aircraft, likely fighter or fighter-bomber regiments based in the Baltic Military District. Its position allowed for control over the Baltic Sea and the entrance to the Gulf of Finland. The airfield featured a single concrete runway approximately 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) in length, capable of handling jet fighters of that era. It was part of a dense network of Soviet military installations on the heavily militarized islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa during the Cold War.

There are no known official plans or realistic prospects for reopening Käina Airfield for aviation purposes. The island of Hiiumaa is adequately served by the public Kärdla Airport (ICAO: EEKA, IATA: KDL), which is located just 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the north and handles the island's commercial air traffic. The prohibitive cost of renovating Käina's runway and building modern terminal and navigation infrastructure, combined with the lack of demand for a second airport, makes its revival as an aviation facility economically and logistically unfeasible.