Panimavida Airport

While there is no official statement on the reason for closure, evidence strongly suggests it was due to economic factors and a lack of use. As a small, private, unpaved airstrip (also known as El Pedregal Airport), its operation was likely dependent on a private owner. The closure was probably a gradual process resulting from the high cost of maintenance, a change in the landowner's needs, or the sale of the property. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a major accident, military conversion, or urban encroachment.

The airport is permanently closed and has been fully reclaimed by the surrounding environment. The site of the former runway is now part of an agricultural field. The faint outline of the north-south runway is still visible on satellite images, but it is overgrown and used as a simple farm track. All aviation-related infrastructure, if any existed beyond the strip itself, has been removed.

Panimavida Airport was a small, private general aviation facility with a single dirt/grass runway. Its primary function was almost certainly to support the significant agricultural operations in the Maule Valley, a major wine and fruit-producing region. Operations would have included agricultural aviation (crop dusting, spraying) and private transportation for local farm ('fundo') owners. It may have also seen very limited use for recreational flights or private access to the nearby historic 'Termas de Panimávida' hot springs resort, though its main purpose was agricultural support.

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Panimavida Airport. The land has been integrated back into agricultural use, and the cost to re-establish even a basic airstrip would be substantial. Given its private nature and the availability of other regional airports, a reopening is considered highly unlikely.