Bataysk Air Base

Military restructuring and force reduction. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Armed Forces underwent significant downsizing. The training aviation regiment based at Bataysk was disbanded, and the air base was deemed surplus to the Ministry of Defence's requirements. The final closure was driven by the decision to transfer the valuable land to the municipality of Bataysk for large-scale urban development.

The air base no longer exists. The site has been completely redeveloped. Starting around 2012, the former runways, taxiways, and aprons were demolished to make way for a large new residential district within the city of Bataysk, often referred to as 'Aviagorodok' (Aviation Town). The area is now filled with modern apartment buildings, schools, parks, and commercial infrastructure. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms that the airfield's layout has been entirely replaced by a dense urban grid.

Bataysk Air Base has a rich history as one of the Soviet Union's most important military pilot training centers.

- **Establishment:** Founded in 1931 as a school for the Civil Air Fleet, it was quickly militarized. In 1938, it became the A.K. Serov Bataysk Military Aviation School of Pilots.
- **WWII:** During World War II, the school trained thousands of pilots for the Soviet Air Forces, making a significant contribution to the war effort. It was evacuated and later returned to Bataysk after the city's liberation.
- **Cold War Era:** After the war, it was known as the Bataysk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (BVVAUL). It was a premier institution for training fighter pilots. In 1960, it was merged with the Krasnodar school, and the Bataysk airfield became a key training base for the Kachinsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots and later the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (KVVAUL).
- **Operations & Aircraft:** The base was home to training aviation regiments (notably the 801st Training Aviation Regiment). For decades, it was where cadets took their first flights in jet aircraft. Aircraft operated from the base over its history include the Po-2, I-15, I-16, Yak series fighters, and later, the MiG-15, MiG-17, L-29 Delfin, and L-39 Albatros jet trainers. The base was instrumental in shaping generations of Soviet and Russian military aviators.

There are zero prospects for reopening. The physical infrastructure of the airport has been permanently destroyed and the land has been irrevocably repurposed for high-density residential and commercial use. Re-establishing an air base on this site is impossible.