Marimenuco Airfield

No official reason for the closure has been published. However, for small, private airstrips like Marimenuco, closure is typically due to economic factors. Common reasons include the high cost of maintenance for very low usage, a change in land ownership where the new owner has no use for an airstrip, or the original owner (likely a local farmer or business) no longer requiring private air access. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a specific accident, military conversion, or government order.

The site of the former airfield has reverted to agricultural use. Satellite imagery clearly shows that the land is now used as pasture for livestock grazing. The faint outline of the former runway is still visible from the air but is completely overgrown with grass and is not maintained or usable by aircraft. There are no remaining signs of airport infrastructure.

Marimenuco Airfield was a small, rudimentary airstrip with purely local significance. It was not a public airport and did not handle commercial or military traffic. Its primary purpose was likely to serve a private landowner or a local agricultural/logging enterprise in a remote, mountainous region. Operations would have been limited to light, single-engine aircraft used for general aviation, personal transport to the remote 'fundo' (ranch), agricultural spraying, or potentially for limited air tourism. It consisted of a single, unpaved (grass or gravel) runway with no significant infrastructure like hangars, lighting, or a terminal.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Marimenuco Airfield. The land is privately owned and has been fully integrated into agricultural activities. The aviation needs of the Lonquimay area are served by the public Lonquimay Airfield (ICAO: SCQY), located approximately 25 kilometers to the northeast. Given the existence of this public facility and the private nature of the former Marimenuco strip, reopening is considered highly unlikely.