Uka Airport

The closure was a direct result of the primary settlement it served, the village of Uka, being officially abolished. The village, a fishing community, experienced a severe population decline after the collapse of the Soviet Union, making it economically unsustainable. The remaining residents were resettled, and with no population to serve, the airport became redundant and was abandoned.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery shows the faint outline of the single dirt/gravel runway, which is now heavily overgrown with vegetation. Any associated airport buildings, along with the adjacent village of Uka, are in ruins. The area is uninhabited and the former airport infrastructure is unusable and not maintained in any capacity.

Uka Airport was a small, local unpaved airfield (MVL - 'Mestnyye Vozdushnyye Linii' or Local Air Lines) of vital importance to its isolated community. Its primary role was to provide a lifeline for the village of Uka, located on the remote northeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The airport handled passenger, mail, and cargo flights, connecting residents to the regional administrative center, Ossora, and other nearby settlements. Operations were typically conducted by the local division of Aeroflot, using rugged aircraft suited for remote, unpaved airstrips, such as the Antonov An-2 biplane and Mil Mi-8 helicopters. The airport was essential for transportation, medical evacuations, and the delivery of supplies in a region with virtually no year-round road access.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening Uka Airport. The fundamental reason for its existence—the village of Uka—was officially and permanently abolished nearly two decades ago. Without a local population or any new economic or strategic driver (such as resource extraction or military interest) in the immediate vicinity, there is no justification for the immense cost of rebuilding and operating an airport at this remote location.