Totma Airport

The airport's closure was a direct result of the widespread economic collapse following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Like hundreds of other small regional airports across Russia, Totma Airport became economically unviable due to a combination of factors: the cessation of state subsidies that had kept local aviation afloat, a sharp increase in fuel and maintenance costs, and a dramatic decline in passenger demand as the population's purchasing power plummeted. The regional operator, Vologda Aviation Enterprise, was forced to drastically scale back its network, closing unprofitable routes and airfields, including Totma.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery clearly shows the remnants of a single, unpaved (grass/dirt) runway, which is now overgrown and unsuitable for any aviation activity. There are no significant buildings or infrastructure remaining on the site. The land has effectively reverted to an open field and is not used for any formal purpose. The ICAO code RU-10027 is an internal Russian Federation index and does not denote an active, certified airfield.

During the Soviet era, Totma Airport was a vital component of the local transportation network in the Vologda Oblast. It primarily handled regional passenger and cargo flights, connecting the town of Totma with the administrative center, Vologda, as well as other remote towns and villages in the region such as Veliky Ustyug and Kichmengsky Gorodok. The main workhorse aircraft for these routes was the Antonov An-2 biplane, perfectly suited for short, unpaved runways. The airport was crucial for mail delivery, medical transport (sanaviatsiya), and providing essential connectivity in a region where road infrastructure was often poor or subject to seasonal impassibility.

There are no known official plans or realistic prospects for reopening Totma Airport. The economic factors that led to its closure remain valid today. The road network in the region has improved significantly since the 1990s, making air travel to a relatively small town like Totma unnecessary and commercially unviable. The cost of re-establishing and certifying the airfield, acquiring suitable aircraft, and funding operations would be prohibitively high for the minimal potential demand. The era of widespread, state-subsidized local aviation of this type in European Russia has largely passed, with efforts now focused on larger regional hubs or extremely remote areas with no road access.