La Balsa Airstrip

The closure was almost certainly for economic reasons, linked to the cessation of the specific operations it was built to support. Small, private airstrips like La Balsa in the Petén department are typically constructed for a single purpose, such as oil and gas exploration, logging, or large-scale agricultural/ranching operations. When the project or contract that necessitated the airstrip concluded, became unprofitable, or relocated, the airstrip would have been abandoned due to the high cost of maintenance versus its lack of purpose.

The site is completely abandoned and closed to all aviation. Satellite imagery clearly shows the unpaved runway, but it is heavily overgrown with grass and other vegetation, making it unusable for aircraft. The land appears to have been reclaimed for local use, likely for cattle grazing or small-scale agriculture. There are no remaining airport infrastructure, such as hangars, fuel depots, or terminal buildings.

La Balsa Airstrip was a small, private, unpaved airfield serving a remote area of the Petén department. It was not a public airport and did not handle scheduled commercial traffic. Its significance was purely logistical, providing vital air access for a specific industrial or agricultural enterprise. Operations would have been limited to light single- and twin-engine aircraft (e.g., Cessna 206, Piper Aztec) capable of using short, unprepared runways. These aircraft would have transported personnel, high-value supplies, and specialized equipment to and from the remote site, bypassing the region's limited road infrastructure.

There are no known or published plans to reopen La Balsa Airstrip. The Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) of Guatemala has not indicated any interest in reactivating the field. A reopening would be highly unlikely unless a new, significant commercial enterprise (such as a new oil exploration block or a major agricultural project) were to be established in the immediate vicinity and required private air logistics. For the foreseeable future, it is expected to remain abandoned.