Bykovo Airport

The closure was due to a combination of factors: 1) **Economic Non-viability:** The airport struggled to compete with Moscow's three larger international hubs (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo). 2) **Outdated Infrastructure:** Its runway was only 2,203 meters (7,228 ft) long, which was too short to safely accommodate modern, popular passenger jets like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. This limited its operations to smaller, often older, regional aircraft. 3) **Urban Encroachment:** The airport was increasingly surrounded by the growing urban area of the Moscow Oblast, which limited any potential for expansion. 4) **Land Redevelopment:** The land lease expired, and the owner, a real estate development company, saw greater financial potential in redeveloping the valuable property for commercial and logistics purposes rather than investing the massive capital required to modernize the airport.

The airport no longer exists. All aviation infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, aprons, and terminal buildings, has been completely demolished. The site has been extensively redeveloped into a large, modern logistics and industrial park. It now houses numerous warehouses, a major customs terminal, and various commercial and light industrial facilities. The area is fully integrated into the industrial zone of the Ramensky District and the city of Zhukovsky.

Opened in 1933, Bykovo was one of Moscow's oldest airports. During the Soviet era, it was a significant domestic hub, handling a large volume of passenger traffic to cities within the central regions of Russia. It was a primary base for aircraft like the Yakovlev Yak-40 and Yak-42. The airport was also notable for its unique main terminal, built in 1975, which was a prominent example of late Soviet modernist architecture, often nicknamed the 'flying saucer' due to its circular design. In its final years, it primarily served charter flights and was a base for several smaller airlines and aviation units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). (Note: The correct ICAO code was UUBB and the IATA code was BKA).

There are zero prospects for reopening Bykovo as an airport. The complete demolition of its infrastructure and the comprehensive commercial redevelopment of the land make a return to aviation operations physically and economically impossible. The role of a fourth Moscow area airport has been filled by the development and expansion of the nearby Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA).