Nezhitino Airport

Primarily economic reasons. The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 led to the end of massive state subsidies for the national airline, Aeroflot, and its regional divisions. The Kostroma Air Enterprise, which operated flights to Nezhitino, could no longer afford to run these highly unprofitable local routes. The sharp decline in the rural economy and population also eliminated the demand, making the airfield obsolete.

The airport is completely abandoned and defunct. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms the site is now an open, grassy field where the former unpaved runway is still faintly visible but heavily overgrown. All airport infrastructure, including any small terminal or service buildings, has been removed or has fallen into ruin. The land is not actively used for any official purpose and has reverted to nature.

Nezhitino was a typical Soviet-era local airfield, part of the extensive 'Mestnyye Vozdushnyye Linii' (MVL or Local Air Lines) network. Its significance was vital for the remote Makaryevsky District. It primarily handled operations by versatile Antonov An-2 biplanes. These flights provided an essential lifeline, transporting passengers, mail, medicine, and time-sensitive cargo between Nezhitino and the regional capital, Kostroma. The airfield also supported agricultural aviation (crop dusting), forestry patrols, and air ambulance (sanavtatsiya) services, making it a crucial component of the region's infrastructure and social support system when road access was limited or slow.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Nezhitino Airport. The economic model that supported such airfields no longer exists in Russia. The local population and economy cannot support commercial air services, and there is no state-level initiative to restore the vast network of abandoned Soviet-era local airfields. The cost of rebuilding, certifying, and operating the facility would be prohibitive and without justification.