Sola Agricultural Airfield

Primarily economic reasons. The end of Soviet subsidies to Cuba triggered a severe economic downturn. This led to critical shortages of aviation fuel, spare parts for the Soviet-bloc aircraft fleet, and the overall financial collapse of the state-run agricultural system. The state aviation company, Empresa Nacional de Servicios Aéreos (ENSA), could no longer afford to operate and maintain its extensive network of rural airfields, leading to the abandonment of specialized strips like Sola.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of decay. Satellite imagery clearly shows the outline of the single runway, but it is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and vegetation, rendering it unusable for any type of aircraft. The land appears to be used informally for grazing livestock. Any remaining support buildings or structures are derelict. The site has not been redeveloped and remains a relic of a past era.

Sola Agricultural Airfield was a functional component of Cuba's highly mechanized, state-controlled agricultural sector from the 1970s through the 1980s. Its primary and sole purpose was to support agricultural aviation ('fumigación aérea'). It served as a local base for a fleet of crop-dusting aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2 and the Polish-made PZL M-18 Dromader. These planes conducted aerial spraying of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers over the vast sugar cane plantations and other crops in the agriculturally significant Camagüey province. The airfield was part of a dense national network vital to maximizing yields under the previous economic model.

There are no known or credible plans or prospects for reopening Sola Agricultural Airfield. The economic conditions and agricultural model that necessitated such an airfield no longer exist in Cuba. The country's agricultural aviation capabilities are a small fraction of what they once were, and any national investment in aviation infrastructure is overwhelmingly focused on major international airports that support the vital tourism industry. The reopening of this small, remote airfield is considered virtually impossible in the foreseeable future.