Tikhvin Airfield

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The centralized, state-subsidized model for regional air travel collapsed, making small local routes financially unviable. The sharp increase in fuel and maintenance costs, coupled with a decline in passenger demand and the breakup of Aeroflot into smaller carriers, led to the cessation of regular flights. With a relatively short distance to St. Petersburg (approx. 220 km), ground transportation became the more practical alternative.

The airfield is currently abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery shows the runway, taxiways, and apron are still intact but are in a state of significant decay, with visible cracks and vegetation overgrowth. The site is not maintained or secured for aviation use. Some of the former airport buildings and adjacent land appear to be repurposed for light industrial or commercial use by local businesses. The runway is occasionally used by locals for recreational driving.

Tikhvin Airfield was a standard Soviet-era regional airport that served the industrial city of Tikhvin and the surrounding district. It was part of the extensive network of local air lines (Местные воздушные линии - МВЛ) operated by Aeroflot's Leningrad Directorate. The airport primarily handled passenger, mail, and cargo flights, providing a crucial link to the regional capital, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and other towns in the oblast. Operations were carried out using aircraft typical for such routes, including the Antonov An-2 biplane and, in later years, the Let L-410 Turbolet. The paved runway, approximately 1400 meters in length, was also capable of accommodating Yakovlev Yak-40 regional jets, which served many provincial routes in the USSR.

There are currently no active or funded plans to reopen Tikhvin Airfield. The prospect of its restoration has been periodically discussed by the Leningrad Oblast regional government as part of broader initiatives to revive small aviation for business, tourism, and emergency services (e.g., medical evacuation, forest fire patrols). However, these discussions have not yet translated into a concrete project. The primary obstacles remain the substantial investment required to restore the runway, terminal, and navigational infrastructure, as well as the challenge of creating a sustainable economic model for its operation without heavy subsidies. Therefore, any prospects for reopening are considered speculative and long-term.