Kiliya Airport

Primarily economic reasons. The airport was part of the extensive Soviet 'Local Air Lines' (Местные воздушные линии - МВЛ) network operated by Aeroflot. This network was heavily subsidized by the central government. After Ukraine's independence, the funding ceased, and the low-volume passenger routes to and from Kiliya became unprofitable for the newly formed independent airlines to maintain. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a specific accident or for military conversion.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (45.458866, 29.287591) shows a clearly defined but severely degraded asphalt runway. The surface is cracked, weathered, and significantly overgrown with grass and vegetation. The surrounding area, including parts of the former airfield grounds, appears to be used for agriculture. Any remaining infrastructure, such as a small terminal or service buildings, is in a derelict state. The site is a relic of a past era of aviation and is not maintained.

Kiliya Airport was a typical small, regional civil airfield of the Soviet era. Its primary function was to connect the town of Kiliya and the surrounding district with regional centers, most notably Izmail and the oblast capital, Odesa. Operations were mainly handled by rugged and versatile Antonov An-2 utility aircraft, colloquially known as 'Kukuruznik'. These flights provided essential passenger, mail, and light cargo transport in an era when long-distance road infrastructure was less developed. The airport also likely played a role in agricultural aviation, supporting crop-dusting and aerial survey activities in this fertile agricultural region of southern Ukraine.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Kiliya Airport. The economic case for reviving such a small airfield is extremely weak, as road transportation has significantly improved since its closure. The nearby city of Izmail has a larger airport that could better serve the region's needs if there were sufficient demand. Furthermore, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine (since 2022) has made any non-essential civil infrastructure projects, especially in a region relatively close to conflict zones, completely unfeasible. National priorities are focused on defense and maintaining critical national infrastructure, not on reviving defunct Soviet-era local airfields.