Sonino Airstrip

Primarily economic reasons. The airstrip was operated by the Soviet-era organization DOSAAF (Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, state funding for DOSAAF clubs was drastically cut. This led to a lack of funds for aircraft maintenance, fuel, and general upkeep of the airfield infrastructure, forcing its eventual abandonment. This was a common fate for many small general aviation and sport airfields across Russia during that period.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of disrepair. Satellite imagery shows the faint outlines of the former unpaved runways, which are now heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and young trees. The former airfield buildings are derelict or have been dismantled. The area is occasionally used by locals for unauthorized activities such as off-road vehicle driving and informal car races. The land is slowly being reclaimed by nature and is encroached upon by expanding suburban cottage (dacha) developments, which is common for defunct airfields in the Moscow Oblast.

Sonino Airstrip was a local general aviation and sport flying airfield. Its primary function was as a training center for the DOSAAF club. Operations included: initial flight training, primarily on piston-engine trainer aircraft like the Yakovlev Yak-52; sport aviation activities; and parachute jump training, for which the Antonov An-2 utility biplane was commonly used. It served as a key part of the Soviet system for pre-military training, providing a steady stream of trained pilots and parachutists for the armed forces. It held no major commercial or strategic military significance.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Sonino Airstrip. The significant cost required to restore the runways and infrastructure after decades of neglect, combined with the high value of the land for real estate development, makes its revival for aviation purposes highly improbable. The site is expected to remain abandoned or be eventually redeveloped for residential or commercial use.