Santa Cruz del Sur, CU 🇨🇺 Closed Airport
CU-0039
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15 ft
CU-09
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 20.825021° N, -78.069148° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
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The exact closure date is not officially documented in public records. However, based on the visible state of decay from satellite imagery and the context of Cuban economic history, the airport was most likely abandoned during the 'Special Period' in the early 1990s. This period, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, led to a severe economic crisis in Cuba, forcing the closure of many non-essential state-run facilities.
The primary reason for closure was economic. The financial crisis of the 1990s resulted in extreme fuel shortages and a lack of funds for maintenance and operations, making small, local airfields like Los Ingleses unsustainable. Air services and resources were consolidated to larger, more strategically important regional airports. There is no evidence of a major accident or military conversion leading to its closure.
The airport is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a single asphalt runway that is severely cracked, weathered, and overgrown with grass and shrubs. There are no visible buildings, hangars, or any other infrastructure remaining on the site. The land is unused and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding natural environment.
Los Ingleses Airport was a small, local airfield with no major historical significance. Its purpose was utilitarian, serving the relatively remote coastal town of Santa Cruz del Sur. When active, its operations would have primarily consisted of:
1. **Agricultural Aviation:** Supporting the region's agriculture (likely sugar cane) through crop dusting and other aerial services, a common function for such airfields in rural Cuba.
2. **General Aviation / Air Taxi:** Providing light transport for government personnel, technicians, or for medical emergency flights.
It was not designed for and did not handle scheduled commercial passenger traffic or major military operations.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Los Ingleses Airport. The reopening would be economically unfeasible due to several factors:
- The extensive cost required to completely rebuild the runway and construct new terminal and support facilities.
- The lack of a clear economic or strategic need for an airfield at this specific location.
- The proximity of the much larger and fully operational Ignacio Agramonte International Airport (CMW) in Camagüey, which serves the entire province.
For these reasons, the prospect of reopening is considered virtually zero.
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