Abyy, RU 🇷🇺 Closed Airport
RU-0669
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- ft
RU-SA
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 68.4033° N, 145.0467° E
Continent: EU
Type: Closed Airport
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The exact closure date is not officially documented, but the airfield was rendered obsolete and permanently closed following the establishment of the more modern Belaya Gora Airport (ICAO: UEMA) as the primary air hub for the Abyysky District. This transition likely occurred during the 1970s or 1980s when Soviet regional aviation infrastructure was being upgraded to handle larger aircraft.
The primary reason for closure was its replacement by the superior Belaya Gora Airport. The old airfield had several critical deficiencies:
1. **Poor Location:** It was situated on a low-lying island or sandbar in the Indigirka River, making it highly vulnerable to seasonal flooding during the spring thaw, which would render it unusable for extended periods.
2. **Inadequate Infrastructure:** It consisted of a short, unpaved dirt/gravel runway unsuitable for larger, more modern aircraft like the Antonov An-24, which became the regional workhorse.
3. **Consolidation:** Air services were consolidated at the new airport near Belaya Gora, the administrative center of the district, which offered better facilities, a more stable location, and the ability to serve the entire region more effectively.
The site is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery at the coordinates (68.4033, 145.0467) clearly shows the faint outline of a single, overgrown runway on the river island. There are no visible remnants of any buildings, hangars, or other aviation infrastructure. The land is unused and is being slowly reclaimed by the surrounding natural environment.
During its operational years, the Old Abyy Airfield was a vital lifeline for the remote village of Abyy in the heart of Yakutia. As a typical Soviet local service ('Mestnyye Vozdushnyye Linii' - MVL) airfield, it provided the only reliable, year-round connection to the outside world for passenger transport, mail delivery, cargo (food, medicine, supplies), and critical medical evacuation flights ('sanaviatsiya'). Operations were almost exclusively handled by rugged STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft capable of using unprepared strips, with the Antonov An-2 biplane being the most common type.
There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening the Old Abyy Airfield. The region's aviation requirements are fully served by the active Belaya Gora Airport (UEMA). The old site's problematic geographical location, susceptibility to flooding, and complete lack of infrastructure make any consideration for its reactivation economically and logistically infeasible.
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