Skirmantiškė airstrip

The closure was due to economic and political changes following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The airstrip was built to serve the Soviet collective farm ('kolkhoz') system. With the restoration of Lithuania's independence and the subsequent dissolution of these farms, the state-sponsored agricultural aviation model it supported became obsolete. The economic basis for its operation disappeared, leading to its disuse and eventual decay.

The site has been fully decommissioned and reclaimed for agricultural use. The land where the runway, taxiways, and apron were located is now actively cultivated farmland. All aviation infrastructure, including any buildings or paved surfaces, has been removed. The faint outline of the former runway can sometimes be discerned in satellite imagery through variations in crop growth or soil color, but it is physically gone.

Skirmantiškė airstrip was a typical Soviet-era agricultural aviation airfield. Its primary purpose was to support the large-scale farming operations of the local collective farms in the Raseiniai district. Operations mainly consisted of crop dusting, fertilizing, and other agricultural tasks. The workhorse aircraft for these missions was the Antonov An-2 biplane. The airstrip was part of a vast network of similar small airfields across the Lithuanian SSR, crucial for the era's agricultural industry. It held no significant military or commercial passenger role.

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening the Skirmantiškė airstrip. The land is now privately owned and fully integrated into the surrounding agricultural landscape. Re-establishing an airfield would require substantial investment, including land acquisition and complete reconstruction of all infrastructure, for which there is no apparent economic or strategic need in the region.