Yelabuga North Airport

The primary reason for its closure was economic redundancy. The nearby Begishevo Airport (IATA: NBC), located approximately 40 km to the southeast, was developed into the main air hub for the entire Kama industrial agglomeration, which includes the major cities of Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhnekamsk, and Yelabuga. Begishevo could handle larger aircraft and higher passenger volumes, making the small, aging Yelabuga North Airport obsolete and economically unviable for regular passenger or cargo services.

The site of the former airport has been absorbed into the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a major industrial park. Since 2023, numerous investigative reports from sources like The Washington Post and Reuters, as well as analysis of satellite imagery, have revealed that the facilities on and around the former airport are being used for the assembly of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Specifically, it is reported to be a major production site for Russian-localized versions of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drone (rebranded as the Geran-2). The former runway and aprons are likely used for testing these drones. In April 2024, the site was the target of a long-range Ukrainian drone strike, which further confirmed its current use as a military-industrial facility.

During its operational years, Yelabuga North was a typical small regional airport of the Soviet era. It primarily served local and regional needs, handling small-to-medium-sized aircraft like the Antonov An-2, and possibly short-haul passenger aircraft such as the Yakovlev Yak-40 or Let L-410. Its main function was to provide air links for passengers and light cargo between Yelabuga and other cities within the Republic of Tatarstan and neighboring regions of Russia. It was an important piece of local infrastructure before the road network was significantly improved and air travel was centralized at Begishevo.

There are no prospects for reopening the airport for civilian use. Its current strategic importance as a high-security military production site completely precludes any civilian activity. Furthermore, the region is adequately served by Begishevo Airport, eliminating any economic or logistical need to reactivate the old Yelabuga airfield for public or commercial transport.