Volgodonsk Airport

The closure was due to severe economic decline following the collapse of the Soviet Union. A sharp drop in passenger demand made regional flights unprofitable. The airport's infrastructure was aging and required substantial investment for modernization, which was not financially viable for the bankrupt operating company. There was no single event like an accident or military conversion; it was a gradual economic failure.

The airport is completely abandoned and in a state of dereliction. Satellite imagery and local reports confirm that the runway, taxiways, and apron are severely deteriorated, with large cracks and vegetation growing through the pavement. The terminal building and other airport structures are abandoned, vandalized, and falling into ruin. The site is not used for any official purpose and is sometimes used by locals for unauthorized activities such as driving practice or street racing.

Volgodonsk Airport was a vital regional airport serving the rapidly growing industrial city of Volgodonsk, which is a major center for nuclear engineering (Atommash plant) and nuclear power (Rostov Nuclear Power Plant). During its active years, it provided essential air links for engineers, workers, and officials, connecting the city primarily with Moscow, but also with other destinations within Russia. It typically handled Soviet-era regional aircraft like the Antonov An-24, Yakovlev Yak-40, and Let L-410. The airport was crucial for the city's economic and logistical connectivity during the Soviet period.

There are zero prospects for reopening the original Volgodonsk Airport site. The infrastructure is beyond repair. For over a decade, there were plans to build a completely new airport for Volgodonsk at a different location (near the village of Potapov) as part of a federal program to develop regional aviation. However, this project has been repeatedly delayed and is now considered indefinitely postponed or canceled, especially after the construction of the large Platov International Airport (ROV) to serve the entire Rostov Oblast.