Haws Airport

The specific reason for closure is not officially documented. However, as a small, private agricultural airstrip, the closure was most likely due to economic factors or a change in land use. Common reasons for such airfields to close include the retirement of the owner, the sale of the land for more profitable agricultural purposes (such as planting permanent crops like orchards or vineyards), or the consolidation of aviation operations at the larger, publicly-owned Madera Municipal Airport (KMAE) nearby.

The site of the former Haws Airport is now private agricultural land. High-resolution satellite imagery clearly shows the faint but distinct outline of the former north-south dirt runway. The land is surrounded by and appears to be part of active farmland, likely orchards or vineyards. The runway is not maintained and is unusable for aircraft. There are no remaining airport facilities like hangars or fuel tanks visible.

Haws Airport was a private airfield that primarily served the local agricultural community. Its main function was likely as a base for agricultural aviation, including crop dusting and spraying, which is a vital industry in California's Central Valley. It was not a facility for commercial passenger or significant military operations. The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory listed Haws Airport as having a single 2,600-foot unpaved, dirt runway designated 12/30. The owner was listed as Haws & Haws. Its significance was purely local, providing a convenient and essential service to the surrounding farms.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Haws Airport. The land is privately owned and has been repurposed for agriculture. Given the value of agricultural land in the region and the proximity of the well-equipped Madera Municipal Airport, it is highly improbable that the site will ever be converted back into an airfield.