Ogodzha, RU 🇷🇺 Closed Airport
RU-0668
-
- ft
RU-AMU
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 52.771507° N, 132.569455° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
Loading weather data...
The airfield ceased regular operations in the mid-to-late 1990s and was completely abandoned by 2001. The settlement of Ogodzha, which the airport served, was officially abolished by a resolution of the Amur Regional Council of People's Deputies on January 19, 2001.
The closure was a direct result of severe economic decline following the dissolution of the USSR. The airfield's existence was entirely dependent on the settlement of Ogodzha, which was established as a base for geologists and workers exploring the massive Ogodzha coal deposit. When state funding for this large-scale industrial project ceased in the post-Soviet era, the settlement lost its economic purpose. This led to rapid depopulation as residents left for other regions, making the local air service economically unviable and ultimately unnecessary.
The site is completely abandoned and in a state of decay. Satellite imagery shows the faint outline of the former runway, which is now heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and small trees. There are no intact airport buildings, navigation aids, or any other infrastructure remaining. The airfield, along with the adjacent ghost town of Ogodzha, is being reclaimed by the surrounding taiga forest.
During the Soviet era, Ogodzha Airfield was a vital transportation lifeline. For a remote settlement like Ogodzha, which lacked reliable all-season road connections, the airfield was the primary link to the outside world. Its operations were crucial for:
- **Passenger Transport:** Connecting residents, geologists, and workers with regional centers like the town of Zeya and the oblast capital, Blagoveshchensk.
- **Cargo and Mail:** Transporting essential supplies, food, equipment, and mail.
- **Medical Aviation (Sanaviatsiya):** Providing emergency medical evacuations, a critical service in such isolated locations.
The airfield typically handled small, rugged STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft capable of operating from its unpaved runway. The most common aircraft would have been the Antonov An-2, the ubiquitous workhorse of Soviet local aviation.
There are no immediate plans to reopen the original, derelict airfield. However, there are significant long-term prospects for aviation in the area. The Ogodzha coal deposit is one of the largest in Russia, and there is recurring interest from both Russian state corporations (like Rostec) and international investors in developing it. Any future large-scale mining operation would require massive investment in new infrastructure. This would almost certainly include the construction of a new, modern airfield to support the logistics of the construction phase and the subsequent mining operations. Therefore, while the old airfield will not be revived, the prospect of a new airport being built in the same vicinity is entirely dependent on the successful launch of the Ogodzha coal project.
No comments for this airport yet.
Leave a comment