Plavsk Airstrip

Primarily economic reasons following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The centrally planned and state-subsidized network of local air services and agricultural aviation became financially unsustainable in the new market economy. The decline of collective farms drastically reduced the demand for agricultural aviation, and ground transportation became a more cost-effective alternative for local passenger and cargo needs, leading to the widespread abandonment of small airstrips like Plavsk.

The airstrip is completely abandoned and defunct. Satellite imagery confirms the location contains a clearly visible but derelict unpaved (grass/dirt) runway. The entire site is overgrown with grass and shrubs, and there are no signs of any remaining aviation infrastructure such as hangars, a terminal, or support buildings. The land is unused, surrounded by active agricultural fields.

Plavsk Airstrip was a standard local airfield of the Soviet era, vital to its regional economy and infrastructure. Its operations were twofold:
1. **Agricultural Aviation (Сельхозавиация):** It served as a base for aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2, to conduct crop dusting, seeding, and fertilization for the surrounding collective farms (kolkhozes) in the Tula Oblast.
2. **Local Air Services (Местные воздушные линии - МВЛ):** The airstrip was part of Aeroflot's vast network connecting small towns. It likely handled scheduled or on-demand flights for passengers, mail, and light cargo, linking Plavsk with the regional capital, Tula, and other district centers. This provided essential connectivity before the widespread availability of private cars and a fully developed modern road network.

There are no known or publicly discussed plans to reopen or redevelop the Plavsk Airstrip. The prospect of reopening is considered extremely low to non-existent due to the lack of any economic or logistical justification. The town is adequately served by road transport, and there is no modern demand for the type of local air services or agricultural aviation that the airstrip once supported.