Callipulli Airport

Replacement by a more modern and capable facility. Callipulli Airport had a relatively short, unpaved (grass/gravel) runway and was becoming constrained by the urban growth of Osorno. This limited its ability to handle larger, heavier, and faster aircraft like the Douglas DC-3s that were becoming the standard for domestic routes. The new Cañal Bajo Airport was constructed further from the city center with a paved runway and superior infrastructure to meet the demands of modern aviation and ensure safer operations.

The former airport site has been completely redeveloped and is now a dense residential neighborhood. The area is known as 'Villa Aeropuerto' (Airport Village), and its aviation history is preserved in street names like 'Avenida Aeropuerto' and 'Pasaje Lan Chile'. The land where the runway and terminal once stood is now occupied by houses, streets, a public school (Escuela de Lenguaje San Agustín), and local businesses. There are no physical remnants of the original airport infrastructure.

Callipulli was the first and principal airport serving Osorno from approximately the 1930s until its closure. It was a key station for the national airline, LAN Chile (Línea Aérea Nacional, now LATAM Airlines), on its southern domestic routes. The airport was vital for connecting the agriculturally important Los Lagos Region with the capital, Santiago, and other southern cities, facilitating passenger travel, mail delivery, and cargo transport long before the region's road network was fully developed. It primarily handled early propeller aircraft, such as the de Havilland Dragon Rapide and later the Lockheed Electra 10-A, playing a foundational role in establishing commercial aviation in southern Chile.

Zero. There are no plans or prospects for reopening Callipulli Airport. The site has been fully and irreversibly converted to urban residential use. The city of Osorno is adequately served by the Cañal Bajo Carlos Hott Siebert Airport, which continues to operate and meet the region's current and future aviation needs.