Grenctāle Airstrip

The closure was a direct result of major political and economic shifts. The primary reasons were:
1. **Economic Restructuring:** The airfield's existence was tied to the Soviet collective farm (kolkhoz) system. With the dissolution of the USSR, these collective farms were dismantled and the land was privatized.
2. **End of State-Sponsored Agricultural Aviation:** The large-scale, state-run agricultural aviation model, operated by Aeroflot, became economically unviable. The demand for widespread, centralized crop-dusting services vanished as farming practices changed.

The site is no longer recognizable as an active airfield and is not used for any aviation activities. The former runway and adjacent land have been completely repurposed for industrial and commercial use. Satellite imagery and local business directories confirm that the area is now occupied by a large agricultural logistics company, likely involved in grain storage, drying, and transportation. The asphalt runway is either partially built over or is used as a service road and storage area for the industrial complex. It is in a state of significant disrepair.

Grenctāle Airstrip was a classic example of a Soviet-era agricultural airfield. Its sole purpose was to serve the local kolkhoz and surrounding collective farms.

- **Primary Operations:** The airfield was a base for agricultural aviation. The most common aircraft used was the Antonov An-2, a versatile biplane ideal for low-speed, low-altitude flying. These planes were used for crop dusting (pesticides and herbicides), aerial fertilization, and sometimes seeding.
- **Infrastructure:** It consisted of a single asphalt runway, approximately 400-500 meters long, and likely a small apron or hardstand for parking aircraft and a shed for storing chemicals and equipment.
- **Role:** It was a vital piece of infrastructure for the highly mechanized and industrialized agricultural model of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, but it held no significant military or passenger transport role.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening the Grenctāle Airstrip. The site has been fundamentally altered by the construction of industrial facilities. Re-establishing it as an airfield would require the acquisition of the private land, demolition of the existing commercial structures, and a complete reconstruction of the runway and facilities to meet modern aviation standards. There is no economic or logistical justification for such a project, as there is no demand for an airfield at this specific location.