Garlene Airstrip

Economic reasons following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The airstrip was purpose-built for Soviet agricultural aviation to service collective farms. With the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991 and the subsequent dissolution of the collective farm system, the state-run operational and economic model for the airfield ceased to exist, leading to its abandonment.

The airstrip is permanently closed and not used for any aviation activities. The paved runway is still clearly visible but is in a severe state of disrepair, with numerous cracks and significant vegetation overgrowth. The site is now used for industrial storage; recent satellite imagery shows large piles of wood chips, sawdust, or other bulk materials stored directly on the former runway and taxiway surfaces, likely by a local forestry or bio-fuel company.

Garlene Airstrip was a typical Soviet-era agricultural airfield, likely constructed between the 1960s and 1980s. Its primary role was to support the local kolkhozes (collective farms) in the Talsi region. Operations were conducted mainly by Aeroflot's agricultural division using rugged utility aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2. These aircraft performed tasks such as crop dusting, aerial seeding, and fertilization. The airfield was part of a vast network of similar small airstrips across the USSR designed to boost agricultural productivity.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Garlene Airstrip. The prohibitive cost of restoring the runway and infrastructure to modern aviation standards, combined with a lack of commercial or general aviation demand in this rural area, makes any such project economically unviable. Its current use for industrial storage further indicates that the land has been repurposed, making a return to aviation activities highly unlikely.