โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
120
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Solovki Airport (CSH/ULAS) is a vital regional aviation facility located on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea of northern Russia. As the primary air link for this remote archipelago, the airport provides essential transportation for local residents, government services, and thousands of international and domestic pilgrims and tourists visiting the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Solovetsky Monastery. It primarily facilitates domestic flight operations, including regular scheduled services that connect the islands with Arkhangelsk and Petrozavodsk, often operated by regional carriers such as the 2nd Arkhangelsk United Aviation Division.
The terminal infrastructure at Solovki is a basic and functional structure designed to manage the unique passenger volume of this historic and religious site. Inside, travelers will find a unified departures and arrivals hall, which includes basic check-in counters and a sheltered waiting area with seating. Amenities at the airport are focused on the essentials, such as clean restroom facilities and general information signage about the islands' spiritual and natural significance. Due to its remote location and smaller scale, there are no extensive retail shops or diverse dining options available on-site, so visitors are encouraged to make any necessary purchases in the main village of Solovetsky before their flight.
Operational capacity at Solovki Airport is supported by a single paved runway measuring approximately 1,500 meters in length, which is capable of supporting various regional turboprop aircraft such as the An-24 or L-410. Navigation through the terminal is exceptionally easy due to its compact and logical layout. For ground transportation, the airport is located within a very short walk of the main village and the monastery complex, with private vehicle transfers and local transport options readily available to transport visitors to their final destination. Travelers should be mindful of the Arctic climate, which can significantly impact flight schedules, particularly during the long winter months.
๐ Connection Tips
Solovki Airport (CSH) should be treated as a highly seasonal access point to the Solovetsky Islands rather than as a normal connection airport. Even when flights are running, this is a remote northern air link whose usefulness depends heavily on weather, season, and the wider transport pattern between Arkhangelsk, the mainland ports, and the islands. The airport itself is simple enough. The real issue is whether the service is operating at all and how it interacts with ferries or mainland transport.
That means the safe connection logic belongs on the mainland. If your trip chains from Moscow or another larger city into Arkhangelsk and then to Solovki, you should build in far more slack than you would for an ordinary domestic transfer. Island access in the White Sea is not something to plan aggressively around, because the weather and seasonal timetable can change the trip very quickly.
Use CSH with expedition-style planning. Confirm the current seasonal transport pattern before departure, treat the air or boat segment as fragile, and avoid same-day chains that assume northern island access will behave like a normal domestic route. The airport is valuable because it reaches a remote and important destination. That same remoteness is why every onward step should be buffered.
โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
75
minutes
International โ Domestic
75
minutes
International โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
120
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Anapa Airport (AAQ) serves the popular Russian Black Sea resort city of Anapa. In 2017, the airport opened a new, modern terminal designed to handle the significant seasonal tourist traffic, replacing the older building. This single-terminal facility is spacious and well-organized, with the ground floor dedicated to arrivals, check-in, and baggage claim, while the first floor houses the departure lounge and gates. The design allows for an efficient flow of up to 600 passengers per hour. **It is critical to note that as of February 2022, all civilian flights at Anapa Airport have been indefinitely suspended due to the conflict in Ukraine.**
Prior to its suspension, the terminal offered a comfortable range of amenities for travelers. These included several cafes and souvenir shops, a family room for passengers with children, and ATMs. The departure lounge on the first floor provided comfortable seating areas for passengers waiting to board. While not a major international hub, the airport was well-equipped to handle the summer rush of tourists visiting the Black Sea coast.
The airport's infrastructure was designed for efficiency, with travelers often noting the quick and straightforward security checks. The baggage claim area was reported to be partially outdoors, a unique feature for a modern terminal. As a key gateway to a major resort area, the airport played a crucial role in the regional tourism economy before its operations were halted.
๐ Connection Tips
As of February 24, 2022, all civilian air traffic at Anapa International Airport (AAQ) has been indefinitely suspended by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the resulting closure of airspace in southern Russia. Consequently, no air connections are currently possible at this facility. The modern terminal building, which opened in 2017 to handle over 600 passengers per hour, remains fully maintained but inactive for public use. Travelers who had originally planned to fly into or out of Anapa must now rely on alternative regional hubs and extensive ground transportation networks. It is essential for anyone researching travel to this region to verify the current operational status through official government channels, as third-party booking platforms may occasionally display outdated or automated flight schedules that do not reflect the local reality.
During its operational period prior to 2022, Anapa Airport served primarily as a destination for domestic tourists and not as a major international transit hub. Most connections occurred between domestic flights arriving from major Russian cities such as Moscow (SVO, DME, VKO), Saint Petersburg (LED), and Novosibirsk (OVB). Key carriers like Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, and Ural Airlines managed the majority of these routes, often using Anapa as a seasonal endpoint for travelers visiting the Black Sea resorts. For domestic transfers within the single-terminal layout, passengers could typically remain airside, with a recommended connection time of at least 60 to 90 minutes. This buffer was necessary to account for potential regional weather delays and the mandatory re-screening of carry-on items before entering the departure lounge on the first floor.
International connections at Anapa were historically less frequent and often limited to seasonal charter operations from nearby regions or former CIS countries. Any passenger transferring between an international flight and a domestic one was required to undergo a full arrival process, including clearing Russian immigration and customs, collecting all checked baggage, and then proceeding to the check-in counters on the ground floor to re-register for their onward domestic leg. Because this process involved multiple security and administrative layers, a minimum connection time of at least 2.5 to 3 hours was strongly advised, particularly during the peak summer months when the terminal reached its maximum capacity. Travelers were also encouraged to monitor real-time flight boards and airline announcements, as gate changes and boarding adjustments were common during the high-traffic tourist season.
With the airport's closure, travelers now use Sochi International Airport (AER) as the primary alternative air gateway for reaching Anapa. From Sochi, the most efficient connection to Anapa is via the 'Lastochka' express train service, which offers a scenic and reliable journey along the coast. Alternatively, long-distance trains from Moscow and Saint Petersburg arrive directly at the Anapa Railway Station, which has become the city's main transportation hub. Inter-city bus services also connect Anapa with Krasnodar and other regional centers. For those who used to rely on taxis at the airport, it is worth noting that historically, pre-arranging transfers was recommended to avoid inflated fares; today, similar caution should be applied when arranging transport from the railway station or from alternative airports like Sochi or Mineralnye Vody.
โ Back to Solovki Airport