Ust-Ordynskiy Airport

The airport was closed due to economic reasons following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The centralized, state-funded system for local aviation (known as MVL - Local Air Lines) collapsed. The subsequent economic crisis made regional flights financially unviable for new, smaller airlines and unaffordable for the majority of the local population, leading to the closure of hundreds of small airfields across Russia, including Ust-Ordynskiy.

The airport is abandoned and defunct. Satellite imagery of the location shows a clearly visible but overgrown and unmaintained dirt runway. The former terminal and service buildings, if any remain, are in a state of decay. The site is not used for any aviation purposes and has reverted to open land, with no signs of current development or use.

During the Soviet era, Ust-Ordynskiy Airport was an important local air hub. It was part of a vast network that connected remote towns and villages with regional administrative centers. The airport primarily handled passenger, mail, and essential cargo transport, significantly improving connectivity for the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug. Operations were mainly conducted using rugged and versatile aircraft like the Antonov An-2, which was capable of operating from the airport's unpaved runway and was a lifeline for the region.

There are no concrete or funded plans to reopen the airport at present. However, Ust-Ordynskiy has been mentioned in broader, long-term strategic discussions by the government of the Irkutsk Oblast regarding the potential revival of small regional aviation to improve transport links to remote areas. Any future reopening is speculative and would depend on significant government investment and the successful implementation of a wider regional aviation development program in Russia.