Kislovodsk Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons. Following the dissolution of the USSR, state subsidies for regional air travel vanished. The airport, which operated short-haul routes with aging and inefficient aircraft like the An-2, became economically unviable. Furthermore, its proximity to the much larger and better-equipped Mineralnye Vody International Airport (MRV), located only about 45 km away, made it redundant. The improvement of road infrastructure provided a cheaper and more reliable alternative for the short distances the airport served.

The airport is abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery shows the single asphalt runway (approximately 1100 meters long) is still clearly visible but is weathered, cracked, and overgrown in places. The small terminal building and other minor structures are extant but in a state of severe decay. The site is not maintained for any aviation purposes and is occasionally used by locals for informal activities such as drag racing, driving practice, or drone flying. It is completely unsecured and has fallen into disuse.

Kislovodsk Airport was a typical Soviet-era regional airfield, crucial for connecting the famous spa and resort city of Kislovodsk with other destinations within the North Caucasus and southern Russia. It was an integral part of the 'Kavminvody' (Caucasian Mineral Waters) resort infrastructure. Operations primarily consisted of:
- **Regional Passenger Flights:** Connecting Kislovodsk with cities like Stavropol, Cherkessk, Krasnodar, and others in the region.
- **Air Taxi and Charter Services:** Providing transport for officials, sanatorium patients, and tourists.
- **Aircraft Types:** The airport predominantly handled small propeller aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2 biplane and possibly the Let L-410 Turbolet, which were the workhorses of Soviet local aviation ('malaya aviatsiya').
Its significance lay in providing direct, rapid access to a major national health resort in an era when long-distance road travel was less comfortable and efficient.

There are no official, funded, or credible plans to reopen Kislovodsk Airport for commercial passenger service. The primary obstacle remains the proximity and excellent connectivity of Mineralnye Vody International Airport (MRV), which serves as the main air gateway for the entire Caucasian Mineral Waters region. Any investment would be directed towards MRV. While there have been occasional discussions among local aviation enthusiasts or in regional development forums about reviving the site for general aviation (private planes, aero clubs, skydiving), these have not materialized into any concrete projects. A commercial reopening is considered economically infeasible and strategically unnecessary.