Stari Airstrip

Economic and political changes following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The airstrip was part of the Soviet collective farm (kolkhoz) system, which was dismantled after Latvia regained independence in 1991. The centralized, state-supported agricultural aviation model that the airstrip served became economically unviable, leading to its abandonment.

The site is abandoned and no longer in use as an airfield. Satellite imagery shows a clearly defined but overgrown former runway in a rural, agricultural area. The grass/dirt strip is unmaintained and is slowly being reclaimed by nature. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or other aviation infrastructure. The land is unusable for aviation in its current state and appears to be unused or integrated with the surrounding farmland.

Stari Airstrip was a typical Soviet-era agricultural airfield ('аэродром сельхозавиации' or 'khim-ploshchadka'). Its primary function was to support the local collective farms. Operations consisted almost exclusively of agricultural aviation tasks, such as crop dusting, aerial seeding, and fertilization. The primary aircraft used would have been the Antonov An-2, a versatile biplane workhorse of the Soviet era. The airstrip's significance lies not in major events, but in its role as a piece of the vast infrastructure that supported the USSR's agricultural economy. It had no scheduled passenger services or significant military role.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Stari Airstrip. The original economic reason for its existence is gone, and there is no apparent demand for a general aviation facility in this specific rural location. Significant investment would be required to clear the land, create a safe runway surface, and comply with modern aviation regulations, making any potential reopening highly improbable.