Sovetskaya Gavan (Znamenskoye) Airport

The closure was due to economic reasons following the dissolution of the USSR. The centralized, state-subsidized system of local aviation (known as MVL - Local Air Lines) became financially unsustainable. This led to a sharp decline in passenger demand, soaring operational costs, and an aging fleet of small aircraft. Ultimately, all civilian air traffic for the Sovetskaya Gavan area was consolidated at the nearby and more capable May-Gatka Airport (UHNM), making the Znamenskoye airfield redundant.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery of the site shows a clearly discernible but heavily deteriorated and overgrown unpaved runway. The few small buildings that likely served as a terminal and for ground services are in a state of dereliction or have been repurposed for minor local use like storage. The area is not maintained for any aviation purposes and is effectively a brownfield site.

Znamenskoye was a classic Soviet-era local airfield that served as a critical transportation hub for the strategic port city of Sovetskaya Gavan. Its primary function was to provide essential connectivity for the local population, handling passenger, mail, and medical evacuation flights. It connected the city with the regional capital, Khabarovsk, and other remote towns and villages in the Khabarovsk Krai. The airport primarily operated small utility aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2, which were ideal for the short, unpaved runway and the demands of local transport.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the Znamenskoye airport. All current and future government investment in the region's air transport infrastructure is focused on the active Sovetskaya Gavan (May-Gatka) Airport. May-Gatka has fully absorbed the functions of the old airfield and is itself slated for modernization to better serve the growing economic importance of the Sovetskaya Gavan port. Rebuilding and reopening Znamenskoye would be economically unjustifiable.