Ivanovo (Yuzhny) Airport is one of the oldest air hubs in Central Russia. Its official history began on September 17, 1939, when regular air service connecting Ivanovo with other cities of the Soviet Union was inaugurated. Located just 7 kilometers southwest of the city center, the airfield quickly became a vital transportation and logistics hub for the region.
During World War II, the airfield served military purposes: fighter squadrons were stationed there, and it facilitated the transport of equipment and personnel to the front lines. After the war, civil aviation operations resumed, and Ivanovo became a stop on Aeroflot routes linking the regional capital with Moscow, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk, and other major cities.
Throughout the Soviet era, the airport underwent several modernization efforts: its runway was reinforced, and a new passenger terminal was constructed, handling hundreds of thousands of passengers annually. However, following the dissolution of the USSR and the reduction of domestic air routes, passenger traffic declined significantly, and the airport entered a period of stagnation.
In the 2000s, Ivanovo Airport was granted federal significance status, underscoring its strategic role in the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Although scheduled passenger flights have been intermittently suspended, the airfield remains active for charter, medical evacuation, government, and training flights, as well as serving as an alternate airport for aircraft transiting through central Russia.
Today, Ivanovo (Yuzhny) Airport retains the potential to restore full-scale passenger operations and stands as a symbol of the region’s rich aviation heritage, preserving decades of service to the skies.
