Biysk Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons. The operating company, FSUE 'Altai Airlines', went bankrupt. This was compounded by a sharp decline in passenger traffic following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, making the airport unprofitable. The infrastructure, including the runway and terminal building, was aging and required significant investment for modernization, which was not financially viable. Furthermore, the development and modernization of the nearby Gorno-Altaysk Airport (IATA: RGK), which is better positioned to serve the growing tourism industry in the Altai Mountains, rendered Biysk Airport's role redundant.

The airport is completely abandoned for aviation purposes. The land and remaining property have been sold. The runway, while still visible from satellite imagery, is in a state of disrepair and is not maintained. The site is popularly used by local residents for unofficial and sometimes officially sanctioned events like drag racing, drifting, and driver training. The terminal building and other airport infrastructure are derelict, having been stripped of valuable materials and left to decay.

Biysk Airport was a significant regional transportation hub for the Altai Krai during the Soviet era and the 1990s. Its former ICAO code was UNBB. It played a crucial role in connecting Biysk, a major industrial center and 'Naukograd' (science city), with other cities across Russia, including Moscow, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Norilsk. The airport handled a variety of aircraft, starting with smaller planes like the An-2 and L-410, and later accommodating regional jets such as the Yak-40, An-24, and Tu-134 after a concrete runway was constructed in the late 1980s. It was vital for business travel, scientific exchange, and general passenger transport for the city's nearly 200,000 residents before its decline.

The prospect of reopening Biysk Airport is periodically discussed by regional authorities and business circles, but there are no concrete plans or allocated funding. The primary obstacles are the prohibitive costs of a complete reconstruction (as the existing infrastructure is unusable) and the strong competition from Gorno-Altaysk Airport, located just 100 km away. While the governor of Altai Krai has occasionally mentioned the possibility as part of long-term regional development, it is considered a very long-term and low-priority project. Without a significant private investor or a major shift in federal transportation strategy, the reopening of Biysk Airport remains highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.