Ciego de Ávila Airport

The airport was closed and replaced by the newly constructed Jardines del Rey International Airport (IATA: CCC, ICAO: MUCC). The old Ciego de Ávila Airport had a relatively short runway and limited infrastructure, making it unsuitable for the large, wide-body jetliners required to support the Cuban government's push for international tourism in the Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo resort areas. The new airport was built specifically to handle this long-haul international traffic, rendering the old facility obsolete for civilian purposes.

The site has been completely repurposed and is now an active military base for the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias - FAR). Satellite imagery shows that while the original runway outline is still visible, the area has been extensively redeveloped with military barracks, parade grounds, administrative buildings, and vehicle depots. The former airport infrastructure has been either demolished or integrated into the military installation. It is an active and restricted military zone, likely operated by the Cuban Air Force (DAAFAR).

Prior to its closure, this airport, sometimes known as Máximo Gómez Airport, was the primary air gateway for the Ciego de Ávila province. It predominantly handled domestic flights, connecting the city of Ciego de Ávila with Havana and other major Cuban cities. The national carrier, Cubana de Aviación, was the main operator, likely using turboprop aircraft such as the Antonov An-24 and An-26. It played a crucial role in regional transportation and government travel but was not designed for the scale of mass tourism that developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening this site as a civilian airport. The region's aviation needs are fully met by the modern and much larger Jardines del Rey International Airport. The complete conversion of the former airport into a strategic military base makes its return to civilian use extremely unlikely.