Hangasjärvi Airstrip

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons and a decline in its primary operational purpose. The airstrip was built to support forestry aviation (e.g., aerial fertilization), a practice that became less common over time. With the reduction in demand, there was no longer a financial incentive to maintain the remote airstrip, leading to its abandonment and deterioration.

The site is completely abandoned and unusable for aviation. Satellite imagery confirms that the former runway is heavily overgrown with shrubs and young trees, and is being reclaimed by the surrounding forest. The faint outline of the airstrip is still visible from the air, but it is not maintained in any way and has no remaining facilities. The area is now just remote forest land.

Hangasjärvi Airstrip was constructed in the 1970s. Its main purpose was to serve as a base for forestry operations in the remote wilderness of Salla, Finnish Lapland. It primarily handled small aircraft used for aerial surveys, fertilization, and spraying of the vast surrounding forests. The 800-meter gravel runway also served the general aviation community, providing access for private pilots and potentially supporting local tourism and reindeer herding activities in a region with limited road infrastructure at the time.

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening the Hangasjärvi Airstrip. The significant cost required to clear the extensive vegetation, rebuild the runway surface, and the lack of any modern economic or strategic need for an airfield at this specific remote location make its revival extremely unlikely.