Former Lepsy Airport

Primarily economic reasons. Like hundreds of other small, local airfields across the former USSR, Lepsy Airport became economically unviable after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The centralized, state-subsidized Aeroflot system was dismantled, and the newly independent Republic of Kazakhstan could not afford to maintain these unprofitable local routes. The decline in the local economy and population also reduced demand for air travel to a level that could not support an airport.

The airport is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a clearly visible, but heavily degraded and overgrown, unpaved runway. There is no evidence of any remaining airport infrastructure such as a terminal, control tower, or hangars. The land appears to be unused open ground, with some dirt tracks crossing the former runway. It is not maintained and is unusable for any aviation purposes.

During the Soviet era, Lepsy Airport was a vital link in the local air network (`Местные воздушные линии` - MBL) of Aeroflot. Its primary function was to connect the remote town of Lepsy and surrounding villages with the regional administrative center, Taldykorgan, and potentially other larger cities like Almaty. Operations were typically handled by small, rugged utility aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2 biplane. The airport facilitated passenger transport, mail delivery, medical evacuation flights (sanitary aviation), and supported agricultural activities such as crop dusting in the region. It was essential infrastructure for a remote community before the road network was fully developed.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The economic and demographic factors that led to its closure are still present. The town of Lepsy has a small population, and ground transportation is now the primary means of travel. Re-establishing the airport would require a complete reconstruction of the runway and all supporting infrastructure, an investment for which there is no economic or strategic justification.