Jelgava Airfield

Military withdrawal and economic non-viability. The primary reason for its closure was the withdrawal of the Soviet (later Russian) Armed Forces from Latvia following the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991. The airfield was a strategic military asset for the USSR. After the military's departure, the vast infrastructure was too large and expensive for the newly independent Latvia to maintain or convert into a viable civilian airport, leading to its abandonment and eventual redevelopment.

The site has been largely redeveloped into the 'NP Jelgava' (Jelgava Business Park), a major industrial and logistics hub. While the main concrete runway and some taxiways are still visible on satellite imagery, they are in a state of disrepair and partially built over. Many of the former military hangars and technical buildings have been repurposed or demolished to make way for modern industrial facilities, warehouses, and manufacturing plants. The area is now a center for business and industry rather than aviation.

Jelgava Airfield has significant military history dating back to its initial construction by German forces around 1937-1939. It was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. During the Cold War, it became a major Soviet Air Force base. It was home to several key aviation regiments, most notably the 899th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (899-й авиационный полк истребителей-бомбардировщиков), which later became an Assault Aviation Regiment. The base primarily operated aircraft such as the MiG-21, MiG-27, and Su-24. In its later years, it also hosted the 285th Separate Electronic Warfare Helicopter Squadron (285-я отдельная вертолётная эскадрилья РЭБ) flying modified Mi-8 helicopters. The airfield was a crucial element of the Soviet Union's air power in the Baltic Military District. The provided ICAO code 'LV-8038' is a non-standard, likely local or defunct identifier; standard Latvian ICAO codes begin with 'EV'.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Jelgava Airfield as a functional airport. The extensive and ongoing industrial development on the site, including the construction of permanent structures on former operational surfaces, makes a conversion back to an aviation facility economically unfeasible and logistically impractical. The focus of local and national development for the site is firmly on expanding the industrial park. It should be noted that a separate, small grass airstrip (ICAO: EVJA) exists in Jelgava for general aviation, but this is a different facility and not related to the old Soviet air base.