Campo Cerro Manantiales Airport

The airport was closed for economic and logistical reasons. Its role was superseded by the construction and improvement of the nearby Franco Bianco Airport (SCSB) in Cerro Sombrero, which features a paved runway and better facilities. The development of an improved road network on Tierra del Fuego also made ground transportation more efficient for the needs of the national oil company, ENAP, leading to the consolidation of air operations at a single, superior airfield.

The airport is abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a clearly visible but derelict gravel runway. The surface is unmaintained, partially overgrown, and shows signs of deterioration, making it unusable for aircraft. The surrounding area remains an active industrial zone with oil and gas infrastructure managed by ENAP, but the airfield site itself is inactive.

Campo Cerro Manantiales Airport was historically vital for the development of Chile's oil and gas industry. It was established by the state-owned company ENAP (Empresa Nacional del Petróleo) to support operations at the Manantiales oil field, the site of Chile's first commercial oil discovery in 1945. For decades, the airfield was a critical link, facilitating the transport of engineers, workers, urgent supplies, and equipment to the remote exploration and production sites on the island of Tierra del Fuego. It primarily handled rugged STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft capable of operating from its unpaved gravel runway.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Campo Cerro Manantiales Airport. Its logistical purpose has been fully and permanently replaced by the nearby Franco Bianco Airport (SCSB), which adequately serves the region's aviation needs. Given the existence of a superior facility just a few kilometers away, there is no economic or operational incentive to restore and reopen this older airfield.