Tenkeli Airport

Economic reasons. The airport's sole purpose was to serve the tin mining settlement of Tenkeli. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the state-run mining operations became economically unviable. The mine closed, leading to the complete abandonment of the town and rendering the airport obsolete.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery shows the runway is still clearly visible but unmaintained and deteriorating. The adjacent settlement of Tenkeli is a ghost town, with all buildings in a state of decay. The site is not used for any official purpose and is slowly being reclaimed by the Arctic tundra.

Tenkeli Airport was a critical lifeline for the remote Soviet-era mining settlement of Tenkeli, which was founded in 1973. It was an essential part of the infrastructure supporting the Deputatsky Mining and Processing Plant's tin extraction activities. The airport handled both passenger and cargo traffic, transporting workers, mail, food, and vital supplies to the isolated community. Its ~1600-meter gravel runway was capable of handling regional aircraft common in the Soviet Arctic, such as the Antonov An-24, An-26, and Yak-40, connecting Tenkeli to regional centers.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Tenkeli Airport. A reopening would require the complete reconstruction of the airport and the resettlement of the abandoned town, which would only be feasible if the large-scale mining operations were to restart. Given the remote location, harsh climate, and economic impracticality, the prospect of this is virtually zero. The aviation needs of the wider Ust-Yansky District are served by the airport in the nearby town of Deputatsky (ICAO: UEKD).