Yuzhno-Kurilsk Mendeleyevo Airport guide

Mendeleyevo Airport is the air gateway to Kunashir Island, the southernmost large island of the Kuril chain. It carries the ICAO code UHSM and sits on the island's southern coast near the village of Mendeleyevo, about 16 km from the town it serves. The islands are under Russian administration and claimed by Japan.

The airfield was built by the Japanese while Kunashir was under their control. It has a single concrete runway, 01/19, measuring 2,055 by 38 metres. The airport closed on 15 October 2006 because of worn infrastructure and runway damage, and flights resumed on 8 January 2007. A federal and regional programme funded reconstruction from 2008, and new lighting installed in 2012 allowed night operations.

The main scheduled link is the flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, operated by Aurora with up to 20 flights a week. Aurora has also flown a seasonal route to Nakashibetsu in Japan. Passenger numbers grew each year from 16,400 in 2014 to 24,300 in 2017, and the airport also handles cargo and mail for the island.