Gold Button Airport

The airstrip was likely a private, unregistered utility strip. Its current state is due to abandonment after its original purpose ceased. Plausible reasons include the conclusion of a specific logging or research project. A significant contributing factor for it being left to revert to nature is its location within a major conservation area; the managing authorities would have a strong interest in preventing its use for illicit activities, such as narco-trafficking, which is a known problem for remote airstrips in the region.

The site consists of a single, unpaved runway that is heavily overgrown and unusable for any type of aircraft. It is located deep within the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, a large private nature reserve managed by the non-profit organization Programme for Belize (PfB). The outline of the airstrip is still visible on satellite maps, but it is being reclaimed by the surrounding forest.

The airport has no documented official history and holds no known historical significance. The name 'Gold Button Airport' and the identifier 'BZ-0005' are unofficial. It was most likely a remote, unpaved utility airstrip built to serve a specific, localized purpose. Potential uses could have included support for logging camps (prevalent in the area before conservation), access for archaeological research, or as a clandestine landing site for illegal operations. It never handled commercial, scheduled, or public air traffic.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening this airstrip. Given its remote location, the lack of any supporting infrastructure, and its position within a protected environmental zone, there is no practical or economic incentive for its rehabilitation. Furthermore, its reopening would likely be actively opposed by the conservation trust that manages the land due to security risks and environmental concerns. Other private airstrips in the region, such as Chan Chich (MZSL) and Gallon Jug (MZGJ), adequately serve the limited air access needs for tourism and research.