Old Uelkal Airstrip

The airstrip was rendered obsolete and closed following the construction and commissioning of the nearby, much larger Ugolny Airport (ICAO: UHMA). The Soviet Union built Ugolny Airport in the 1950s as a strategic forward deployment base for its long-range bomber fleet (specifically the Tupolev Tu-95 'Bear'). The old airstrip, likely having a short, unpaved runway, was completely inadequate for the new military requirements and the larger transport aircraft needed to support the base. Its closure was a direct result of this military-driven infrastructure upgrade, making it redundant.

The site of the Old Uelkal Airstrip is completely abandoned. Satellite imagery shows the faint outline of a former north-south runway, but it is heavily overgrown with tundra vegetation and is no longer distinguishable as a functional aviation surface. There are no remaining buildings, navigational aids, or any other infrastructure at the site. The land is unused and has been reclaimed by the natural environment. It is located just north of the modern Uelkal settlement and southeast of the massive, active Ugolny Airport.

Prior to the construction of Ugolny Airport, the Old Uelkal Airstrip was the primary aviation link for the remote settlement of Uelkal. Established likely in the 1940s or early 1950s, it was a vital lifeline, connecting the village to regional centers like Anadyr. Operations would have been limited to small, rugged piston-engine aircraft such as the Antonov An-2, Lisunov Li-2, and possibly the Polikarpov Po-2. These aircraft handled all essential transport, including mail, medical supplies, food, personnel, geological survey teams, and passenger travel. The airstrip was fundamental to the existence and development of the settlement in the pre-jet era of Soviet Arctic development.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the Old Uelkal Airstrip. The nearby Ugolny Airport is a major, active dual-use (military and public) airport with a 3,500-meter concrete runway and modern facilities capable of handling large jet aircraft. Ugolny Airport fully serves all civilian and military aviation needs for the region. There is no economic, logistical, or strategic justification to restore the small, primitive, and long-abandoned old airstrip.