Wooden Airports in Russia:
Zhigansk Airport (Sakha Republic).
Zhigansk had a population of 3.420 in 2010, and there is no year-round access by road. In the summer, the village can be reached by boat via the Lena River; when the river is frozen, there is a winter road leading to Yakutsk.
The airport has regular flights to Yakutsk and other settlements, and also helicopter flights. The building pictured above is new.
Vanavara Airport (Vanavara, Krasnoyarsk Krai).
The Ilimpeya River cuts off regular road access, so it is only possible to arrive by car in winter. North-east of the village is the airport, with a concrete runway as well as a forest clearway reaching for 3km, which suggests that it may have been longer in the past. Flights from the neighbouring town are twice a week.
Igrim Airport (Igrim, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug).
This village is located on the right bank of the Sosva River. Several large natural gas fields were discovered and developed here during the 1960s, and an airport was built as a result. The airport has a dirt runway, probably the only one in Russia, and there are flights to Khanty-Mansiysk (administrative centre of the okrug), Beryozovo and Tyumen.
Khatanga Airport (Khatanga, Krasnoyarsk Krai).
This major airport is the largest Arctic airport, and is in use 24/7 throughout the year. It is a hub for tourist expeditions to the North Pole via the island of Sredny Ostrov. As the Arctic regions are still sensitive military zones, Khatanga is the first stop that requires entry permission from Federal Security Service border guards.
Khatanga Airport has flights to Krasnoyarsk and Norilsk, as well as local flights. It is only equipped for landings during good weather, but serves as a diversion airport for twin-engine airliners who suffer engine problems while flying over Siberia. Interceptor aircraft were based here during the 1970s, and possibly also deployments from Bratsk (Irkutsk Oblast).
Uorgalan Airport (Uorgalan, Khabarovsk Krai).
This regional airport services work in the Kondyor Massif deposit of precious metals.
Chara Airport (Chara, Zabaykalsky Krai).
In the past, the village of Chara was the centre of the local gulag, and prisoners were brought here from Chita on small planes. The runway was prepared by geologists who found deposits of copper and uranium nearby.
The airport is open only in the daytime, as it is surrounded by the high Kodar Mountains. Flights run to Chita's Kadala Airport three times a week.
