Sabana de La Mar Airport

The primary reasons for closure were economic and infrastructural redundancy. The development of two larger, paved airports in the vicinity—Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS) for international and domestic flights, and Arroyo Barril Airport (MDAB) for domestic traffic—provided far superior and safer access to the region. Coupled with significant improvements to the road network connecting Sabana de La Mar to major cities, the limited utility of a small, unpaved airstrip was eliminated, making it economically non-viable to maintain.

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. As of the latest satellite imagery, the outline of the former runway is still visible but is heavily overgrown with grass and vegetation. A local dirt road or track now cuts across the southern portion of the airstrip. There are no remaining buildings, terminals, or hangars on the site. The land is unused and is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Sabana de La Mar Airport was a small, local airstrip (aeródromo) with an unpaved grass/dirt runway. It was never a major commercial airport and primarily served general aviation, air taxis, and private charter flights. Its historical significance lies in its role as an early gateway for tourism to the remote town of Sabana de La Mar and, most importantly, the adjacent Los Haitises National Park. Before the region's infrastructure was developed, the airport provided a crucial link for a small number of tourists, conservationists, and local business people, handling small propeller aircraft like Cessnas and Pipers capable of operating from short, unprepared surfaces.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen Sabana de La Mar Airport. The air traffic needs of the entire Samaná Peninsula are comprehensively met by the nearby modern airports. Given the lack of economic or logistical justification, and the superior infrastructure already in place, the prospect of reopening this small, defunct airstrip is virtually zero. The land is more likely to be repurposed for agricultural, residential, or other community development in the future.