Mitu, CO 🇨🇴 Closed Airport
ICAO
CO-0487
IATA
-
Elevation
583 ft
Region
CO-VAU
Local Time
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 0.108611° N, -70.326944° E
Continent: South America
Type: Closed Airport
Help fellow travelers by sharing your experience at Piedra Ñi Airport. Tips are reviewed before publishing.
Piedra Ñi Airport (CO-0487) in Mitú, Colombia, is permanently closed. As such, there are no recent traveler reviews or experiences available for this airfield.
However, the primary operational airport serving Mitú is Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport (MVP/SKMU). While direct traveler reviews are scarce, information from airport overviews suggests it is a small but functional regional airport crucial for connecting Mitú to the rest of Colombia. It handles domestic flights and serves as an essential transport link for remote communities.
What Travelers (and airport overviews) Love about Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport (MVP):
Common Complaints (based on available information):
Overall, Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport serves as an indispensable hub for Mitú, providing essential air links despite its modest size. Travelers should anticipate a basic but operational experience at this vital regional facility.
Researching traveler experiences online...
No community tips yet for Piedra Ñi Airport.
Be the first to share a helpful tip for fellow travelers!
Loading weather data...
| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|
Unknown. The airstrip was likely abandoned or destroyed sometime between the 1990s and early 2000s. There are no official records of its operation or closure as it was not a regulated public facility.
The airport was not a public facility. It is widely believed to have been a clandestine/unregistered airstrip. Its closure was almost certainly due to it being located and destroyed by the Colombian Armed Forces during counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency operations. The Vaupés department was a hotbed for FARC guerrilla activity and coca cultivation, and such strips were frequently built and then rendered unusable by military action to disrupt illegal logistics.
The site of the former airstrip, based on current and historical satellite imagery at the provided coordinates, has been completely reclaimed by the dense Amazon rainforest. There are no visible traces of a runway, clearings, or any associated structures. The area is remote, inaccessible by land, and for all practical purposes, the airfield no longer exists.
Piedra Ñi Airport's significance is entirely linked to the Colombian armed conflict and the illicit drug trade. It was never a commercial or civil airport. Its primary function was likely as a logistical node for small aircraft (e.g., Cessna 206, Piper PA-31) to transport processed coca paste, weapons, supplies, and personnel for guerrilla groups (primarily the FARC) or drug cartels operating deep within the jungle. Its existence highlights the critical role that remote, makeshift airstrips played in the infrastructure of illegal activities and the subsequent state response in the vast Colombian Amazon.
There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening Piedra Ñi Airport. Given its illicit origins, complete reclamation by the jungle, and the existence of the official Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport (IATA: MVP, ICAO: SKMU) serving the Mitú region, there is no practical, economic, or legal reason to re-establish an airstrip at this remote location.