Cunatama Airport

The airport was a private, clandestine airstrip. Its closure is almost certainly linked to the cessation of the activity it was built to support. Given its remote location in the Amazon, it was most likely constructed to serve illegal artisanal mining operations ('garimpo'). These airstrips are often abandoned when the mineral resources are depleted, the operation becomes unprofitable, or it is shut down by Brazilian environmental (IBAMA) or federal law enforcement agencies.

The airport is completely abandoned and derelict. Recent satellite imagery clearly shows the outline of the runway, but it is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and other vegetation, rendering it completely unusable for any aviation purposes. The jungle is in the process of reclaiming the cleared land, and there are no visible signs of any current human activity, maintenance, or remaining structures.

Cunatama Airport holds no official or major historical significance. Its importance was purely logistical and localized. As a typical remote jungle airstrip, it was a critical lifeline for operations in an area with no road access. It would have exclusively handled small, rugged, single-engine aircraft capable of short take-offs and landings (STOL) on unpaved surfaces, such as Cessna 206s or similar models. These planes would have been used to fly in personnel, food, fuel, mercury (for gold mining), and other supplies, while flying out extracted minerals.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Cunatama Airport. The likelihood of it ever being restored is virtually zero. Reopening would require a massive investment to clear the jungle, rebuild the runway surface, and gain the necessary permits from Brazilian aviation (ANAC) and environmental authorities. Since there is no apparent economic, social, or strategic need for an airport at this specific remote location, there is no incentive for any public or private entity to undertake its restoration.