Savannah Bight Airport

The primary reason for closure was redundancy and obsolescence following the development and modernization of the main Guanaja Airport (IATA: GJA, ICAO: MHNJ). The Savannah Bight strip was a short, unpaved, and rudimentary airfield suitable only for small STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. The main airport offered a longer, paved runway, superior facilities, and safer over-water approaches, allowing it to handle the larger turboprop aircraft (like the ATR-42 and Let L-410) used by regional airlines. This made the continued operation and maintenance of the Savannah Bight strip economically unviable and logistically unnecessary.

The site of the former airport is no longer used for any aviation purposes. An examination of the location via satellite imagery confirms that the runway area is completely overgrown with grass and vegetation. It has been repurposed by the local community and now functions as a wide footpath, a road for motorcycles and ATVs, and a general open public space. Houses and other structures have been built directly adjacent to the edges of the former runway, making any future use as an airfield impossible without significant demolition and redevelopment.

Savannah Bight Airport served as a vital, local 'bush strip' for the community of Savannah Bight and the surrounding settlements on the eastern side of Guanaja. Before the main airport became the sole, modern air hub, this airstrip provided a critical connection for transporting residents, mail, and essential supplies to and from the mainland and Roatán. It primarily handled small general aviation and charter aircraft, such as the Cessna 206 and Britten-Norman Islander. Its operation was crucial for local commerce, medical evacuations, and providing access for the early tourism ventures located on that part of the island.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Savannah Bight Airport. The island of Guanaja is adequately and more safely served by the modern Guanaja Airport (GJA/MHNJ), which handles all commercial and private air traffic. The former airstrip at Savannah Bight is too short, unmaintained, and heavily encroached upon by the local settlement to meet modern aviation safety standards. Re-establishing the airport would be economically unjustifiable and logistically impractical.