Pikhtovka Airfield

Primarily economic reasons. The airfield's existence was tied to the Soviet state-run agricultural system. With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the system of collective farms (kolkhozes) and state farms (sovkhozes) was dismantled. The state-subsidized demand for agricultural aviation (crop dusting, fertilizing) vanished, making the airfield economically unviable. Without state funding, the infrastructure fell into disrepair and was ultimately abandoned.

The airfield is completely abandoned and defunct. An examination of satellite imagery of the coordinates reveals that the site has reverted to nature and agricultural use. The former unpaved runway is heavily overgrown with grass and shrubs, and its outline is only faintly discernible. There is no remaining infrastructure such as hangars, terminal buildings, or navigation aids. The land is now indistinguishable from the surrounding fields and is likely used for farming or grazing.

Pikhtovka Airfield was a typical local utility airfield common throughout the Soviet Union. Its primary and almost exclusive purpose was to serve as a base for agricultural aviation. Operations were mainly conducted using Antonov An-2 aircraft, the workhorse of Soviet rural aviation. These planes would perform aerial application of pesticides and fertilizers on the vast farmlands of the Kolyvansky District in Novosibirsk Oblast. The airfield was a vital component of the region's agricultural infrastructure during the Soviet era, but it did not handle scheduled passenger flights or significant cargo operations.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Pikhtovka Airfield. The original economic reason for its existence is gone, and there is no modern demand for an airfield at this specific location. The cost of restoring the runway and building new infrastructure would be substantial, with no clear economic benefit. The site is considered permanently closed.