# Elista Airport (ESL)

> Elista, RU · IATA: ESL · ICAO: URWI · Medium Airport

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `ESL` |
| ICAO | `URWI` |
| City | Elista |
| Country | RU |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 153 m |
| Cargo | ❌ |
| GPS | 46.37390, 44.33090 |

## Description

IATA ESL, ICAO URWI: Elista Airport reopened on 3 May 2024 after southern Russian airspace had kept it closed since February 2022, ending more than two years without a scheduled flight. Elista is the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, the only Buddhist-majority region in Europe, set in the steppe north of the Caucasus. Traffic is passenger-only, chiefly to Moscow, with about 214 movements recorded over summer 2024. The airport has no dedicated air-cargo handling; beyond limited belly capacity on passenger services, ESL plays no freight role. Shippers in the region use Volgograd (VOG, about 280 km) or Astrakhan (ASF), while wider air freight routes through Moscow.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/elista-airport-esl](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/elista-airport-esl)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/elista-airport-esl](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/elista-airport-esl)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/elista-airport-esl/llm-summary*