Old Barahona Airport

Replacement by a new, modern airport. The Old Barahona Airport was closed upon the inauguration of the María Montez International Airport (IATA: BRX, ICAO: MDST) on April 27, 1996. The old airport was small, had a short runway, and was located within the growing urban area of Barahona, which limited its potential for expansion and posed safety concerns. The new airport was built to handle larger commercial aircraft (such as the Boeing 747), boost international tourism, and support economic development for the entire southwestern region of the Dominican Republic, capabilities the old airfield could not provide.

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and integrated into the urban fabric of Barahona. The land is now used for a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational purposes. A major feature on the former airport grounds is the Villa Central baseball stadium. New streets, including one named 'Avenida La Aviación' in memory of the airport, now crisscross the area where the runway once lay. While the faint outline of the old runway can still be discerned in some areas via satellite imagery, there are no remaining aviation facilities, and the site is permanently defunct as an airport.

The Old Barahona Airport, sometimes referred to locally as 'El Aeropuerto de la Aviación,' was the original and primary airfield for the Barahona province for many decades. It served as a crucial connection for this relatively isolated region, handling domestic flights, general aviation, and government/military aircraft. Its operations were vital for transporting personnel and goods, particularly for the local sugar industry (Ingenio Barahona). The airport was a key piece of infrastructure before modern highways fully connected the region to Santo Domingo. However, its facilities were basic, and its short runway could only accommodate smaller propeller-driven aircraft, limiting its economic impact.

There are zero prospects for reopening the Old Barahona Airport. The site has been irreversibly repurposed for urban development. All aviation services and future development for the Barahona region are concentrated at the modern and much more capable María Montez International Airport (MDST), which is located approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of the old airport's site.