Novgorod Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons following the collapse of the Soviet Union. This included a sharp decline in regional air traffic, the bankruptcy of the local airline division, and the airport's aging infrastructure. Its short runway was unsuitable for modern jet aircraft, and its proximity to the major hub of Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg made it economically unviable.

The airport no longer exists. The site has been completely redeveloped into a residential and commercial area. The former runway and aprons have been replaced by apartment buildings, streets (including a major thoroughfare, Kirov Avenue), and other urban infrastructure. The original terminal building has been demolished.

Named Yurievo Airport after the nearby historic Yuriev Monastery, it was the primary civil airport for Veliky Novgorod for several decades during the Soviet era. It handled regional passenger and cargo flights, connecting the city to destinations like Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Riga, and Minsk. The airport was a key transportation hub for tourism and business, primarily served by Soviet-era aircraft such as the Antonov An-24, Yakovlev Yak-40, and Let L-410.

There are no plans to reopen the original Novgorod (Yurievo) Airport, as the site has been fully built over. However, there have been long-standing, albeit frequently delayed, plans to develop a new civilian airport for Veliky Novgorod by converting the nearby Krechevitsy military airbase (ICAO: ULLK). This project aims to support the region's tourism and economic development. Despite numerous announcements over the years, the conversion has faced persistent funding and logistical challenges, and as of the early 2020s, it remains a prospective project with no definitive timeline for completion.