Soyana Airfield

The closure was due to economic reasons following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The centralized, state-subsidized model of Aeroflot's local air services (MVL - Local Air Lines) collapsed. This made flights to small, remote villages like Soyana financially unsustainable due to the high cost of fuel, aircraft maintenance, and infrastructure upkeep, coupled with the decline of the local economy and population.

The airfield is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery confirms the presence of a single, unpaved dirt/grass runway approximately 650 meters long, which is now overgrown and unmaintained. Any associated buildings are derelict. The site is not used for any aviation purposes and has effectively reverted to an open field.

During the Soviet era, Soyana Airfield was a vital lifeline for the remote village of Soyana and the surrounding area in the Mezensky District. Operated by the Arkhangelsk United Air Squadron, it primarily handled passenger, mail, and cargo flights using the ubiquitous Antonov An-2 biplane. These flights connected the isolated community to regional centers like Mezen and the city of Arkhangelsk (Vaskovo Airport), providing essential transport in a region with limited ground access, which is often restricted to river travel in summer and seasonal winter roads ('zimniks').

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the Soyana Airfield. The economic and demographic conditions that led to its closure have not improved. The small population of the village cannot support the significant cost of re-certifying and operating a fixed-wing airfield. Any current emergency or critical transport needs for the community are met by helicopters (e.g., Mi-8), which can land in unprepared areas and are more flexible for sanitary (medevac) and special-purpose flights in the region.