the Iranian border was redeveloped. However, the Kapan-Kovsakan-Mijnavan railway line is currently inactive. Prior to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the nearby defunct airport accommodated the YAK-40 and AN-14 cargo aircraft. In February 2017, the governor of Syunik Province, Vahe Hakobyan, announced that the airfield would become a modern airport serving the town of Kapan and southern Armenia, and on June 6 a test landing was conducted at the airfield with the governor on board. According to the plan, the reconstruction of Kapan Airport was expected to be completed in 2018, with an estimated cost of US$2 million. By February 2020 the airport reconstruction was close to completion and it was expected to reopen in May 2020. Economy Kapan is struggling to cope with the realities of post-Karabakh war and post-Soviet society. However, there are signs of growth and development. Kapan is primarily a mining centre, hence its Qajar era Persian name of معدن (Ma'dan, meaning "mine"). Kapan has been a major centre for the production of many non-ferrous metals. The Kapan mining company is currently owned by Chaarat plc, a British company. It is currently working the Shahumyan deposit and produces around 65,000 ounces of gold equivalent in copper and zinc concentrates per year. Kapan is home to many industrial firms. The largest firms are the "Kapan CH.SH.SH." for building materials founded in 1947, the Kapan machine tools plant founded in 1972, the Sonatex knitting factory founded in 1985, and Marila LLC for meat and dairy products founded in 2010. Tourism is growing in the region of Kapan. The nearby cableway of the Wings of Tatev connecting Halidzor village with the Tatev Monastery has greatly contributed in the development of the sector. Many hotels and mountain resorts are set to open in the near future, while the upcoming opening of the Syunik Airport of Kapan will increase tourist access. Ark Ecological NGO, headquartered in Kapan, has been working on the development of ecotourism in the Syunik region since 2013, and is currently building hiking trail infrastructure to connect Kapan and the Tatev Monastery. Education Kapan is the education centre of southern Armenia. It has 13 public education schools, 3 music schools and 3 sport academies. The Kapan campus of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia is home to two faculties: Faculty of Technologies and Sectoral Economics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Communication Systems. Sport Football is the most popular sport