Matun, CU 🇨🇺 Closed Airport
CU-0096
-
66 ft
CU-06
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 22.18841° N, -80.71291° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Traveler sentiment at Aeropuerto Internacional Vilo Acuña (CYO) in Cayo Largo del Sur is generally mixed, with some travelers praising its efficiency while others express concerns over comfort and amenities. Recent investments have aimed to improve infrastructure and operational security.
Overall, Aeropuerto Internacional Vilo Acuña serves as a functional gateway to Cayo Largo del Sur, benefiting from recent improvements to its infrastructure. While it offers a generally efficient experience, travelers should be prepared for basic amenities, potentially crowded conditions during peak times, and limited free services, particularly regarding Wi-Fi.
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Approximately early to mid-1990s. No exact official date is available. Analysis of historical satellite imagery from the early 2000s shows the airport was already in a significant state of disrepair, suggesting it ceased operations years prior. The closure aligns with the timeline of Cuba's 'Special Period,' an era of severe economic crisis following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Primarily economic reasons. The airfield was likely operated for agricultural aviation or as a secondary military strip. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended crucial subsidies to Cuba, crippling state-run enterprises, including the national agricultural aviation fleet (ENSA), and drastically reducing the military's operational budget. Lack of fuel, spare parts for aircraft (many of which were Soviet-made), and general funding led to the abandonment of non-essential infrastructure like Cayo Grande Airport.
The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. The paved runway remains visible on satellite imagery but is severely degraded, with extensive cracking, potholes, and vegetation growing through the surface. The site is not maintained for aviation. The runway and adjacent concrete areas appear to be used informally by locals as a connecting road, for drying grain, or for other agricultural purposes. The few support buildings on the site are either in ruins or have been repurposed for local agricultural use.
Cayo Grande Airport was likely a product of the Cold War era, serving one or both of two main functions. Firstly, it was an important airfield for agricultural aviation, supporting the vast sugar cane, citrus, and rice plantations in Matanzas province. Aircraft like the Antonov An-2 were likely based here for crop dusting and spraying. Secondly, it may have served as a dispersal or auxiliary airfield for the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR). Its paved runway, approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) in length, was capable of handling small transport aircraft and tactical fighter jets. Its location near the strategically important Zapata Swamp (Ciénaga de Zapata) would have made it a useful secondary military site.
There are no known or published plans to reopen Cayo Grande Airport. The cost of renovating the runway and facilities to modern standards would be substantial. Given Cuba's ongoing economic challenges and the existence of other operational airports in the region, such as Playa GirĂłn Airport (MUPG) and the major Juan Gualberto GĂłmez International Airport (MUVR) in Varadero, there is no strategic or economic incentive to restore this defunct airfield. Its reopening is considered highly improbable.