El Gilgal Airport

Abandonment. While no single official reason is documented, the closure is likely due to a combination of factors. The airstrip was private and probably served a specific agricultural enterprise (like a large finca) or a private community that ceased operations or no longer required air access. Additionally, the complex security situation in the Urabá Chocoano region, historically a corridor for illicit activities and armed groups, may have contributed to its abandonment as authorities increased control over private airstrips to curb their use for illegal logistics.

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. The site of the former runway is completely overgrown with grass and vegetation, making it unusable for any aviation purposes. The outline of the ~800-meter runway is still visible in satellite imagery, but the land has effectively reverted to pasture or agricultural use, blending in with the surrounding fincas (farms).

El Gilgal was a private, unpaved airstrip (aeródromo) and not a public commercial airport. Its primary function was to provide air access to a remote area with limited ground transportation. Operations would have been limited to small, single-engine, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as Cessna 206s or similar models. These planes would have been used for transporting personnel, light cargo, medical supplies, and potentially for agricultural purposes like crop dusting. Its historical context is significant due to its location in the Darién Gap region, an area heavily impacted by the Colombian armed conflict. Private airstrips in this zone were strategically important for both legal commerce and illegal logistics by armed groups and drug traffickers during the late 1990s and 2000s.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening El Gilgal Airport. As a small, private airstrip that has been derelict for many years, significant investment would be required to clear, regrade, and certify the runway for operation. With no apparent economic driver and the existence of other regional airports like Alcides Fernández Airport (UGI/SKUG) in nearby Acandí, the reactivation of El Gilgal is highly improbable.