Chernihiv Shestovytsia Airport

The primary reason for its closure was economic. After the dissolution of the USSR, the state-run regional airline network (a branch of Aeroflot) collapsed. The demand for regional flights from Chernihiv plummeted, making the airport economically unviable. This was compounded by a lack of state funding for maintenance and modernization, leading to the rapid deterioration of its runway, terminal, and navigation equipment.

The airport is completely non-operational and in a state of ruin. Prior to 2022, the site was largely abandoned, with a decaying runway and derelict buildings, occasionally used for illegal car racing or local events.

During the initial phase of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February-March 2022, the airport and its surroundings became a site of intense fighting during the Battle of Chernihiv. The remaining infrastructure, including the terminal building and hangars, sustained heavy damage from shelling and combat. The area is considered unsafe and is likely contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO).

During the Soviet era, Chernihiv Shestovytsia Airport was a significant regional hub. It served both civilian and military purposes.

- **Civilian Operations:** It handled scheduled passenger flights connecting Chernihiv with major cities within the USSR, such as Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Kyiv, Minsk, and Simferopol. These routes were typically operated by smaller Soviet-era aircraft like the Antonov An-24, Yakovlev Yak-40, and Let L-410 Turbolet.

- **Military and Paramilitary Use:** The airport was also a base for the DOSAAF (a Soviet paramilitary sports organization), which provided flight training for pilots and parachute training. It also supported agricultural aviation (crop dusting with An-2 aircraft) and other forms of general aviation.

Prospects for reopening are currently non-existent. Before the 2022 invasion, local authorities had periodically discussed plans to reconstruct the airport to attract low-cost carriers or develop it as a cargo hub, leveraging its proximity to Kyiv. However, these plans never secured funding.

Given the extensive destruction from the 2022 invasion, the immense cost of demining and complete reconstruction, and Ukraine's focus on the ongoing war and rebuilding more critical infrastructure, the revival of Shestovytsia Airport is not a priority. Any future consideration would only be possible as part of a long-term, post-war national reconstruction program, and even then, its economic viability would be highly questionable.