Old Vladivostok Airfield

The closure was a multi-stage process driven by several factors. The primary reason was the opening and expansion of the new Knevichi Airport (now Vladivostok International Airport, UHWW), which was built further from the city and was far better suited for modern, larger jet airliners. The old airfield's location within the expanding city limits, its relatively short runway, and the surrounding hilly terrain made it operationally limited and increasingly unsafe for growing air traffic. Ultimately, the land became more valuable for urban development than for aviation.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is now unrecognizable as an airfield. The land is occupied by a large residential area known as the 'Snegovaya Pad' (Снеговая Падь) microdistrict, the 'Sedanka City' (Седанка Сити) shopping mall, and major road infrastructure. The De-Friz–Sedanka–Patrokl highway, a critical piece of infrastructure built for the 2012 APEC summit, cuts directly across the path of the former main runway. The outline of the old airfield is only visible in historical satellite imagery.

Known locally as 'Vtoraya Rechka' (Second River) or 'Morskoy Gorodok' (Naval Town) airfield, this was Vladivostok's original primary airport, established in the 1930s. It was a crucial joint-use facility, serving both civil aviation (Aeroflot) and the military. For decades, it handled all of Vladivostok's passenger and cargo traffic, connecting the strategically important port city to Moscow and other parts of the USSR with aircraft like the Li-2, Il-14, and later the Tu-104 jet. Militarily, it was a key base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet's Naval Aviation, hosting fighter and reconnaissance aircraft during the Cold War, making it a site of significant strategic importance.

There are zero prospects for reopening. The land has been irreversibly redeveloped with critical and permanent urban infrastructure, including high-density residential complexes, major highways, and large commercial centers. It is physically impossible to restore the site as an airfield.