Las Choapas Airport

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic and logistical factors. The airfield's main purpose was to serve the state-owned oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). As PEMEX's local operations evolved, its reliance on fixed-wing aircraft for regional transport diminished in favor of more cost-effective ground transportation or helicopter use. The high cost of maintaining an underutilized airstrip, coupled with potential security concerns related to its use for illicit activities (a common issue for remote airfields in Mexico), led to its eventual decommissioning.

The airport is permanently closed and the site has been significantly repurposed for public use. A large portion of the former airport grounds, including the central area of the runway and adjacent land, has been redeveloped. The site now hosts essential public infrastructure, most notably the 'Hospital General Dr. Pedro Coronel Pérez' and other municipal and judicial buildings. The remaining visible, but deteriorating, sections of the asphalt runway are no longer usable for aviation and are sometimes used by local residents for driving practice, recreation, or as an access road.

Historically, the Las Choapas Airport, known locally as 'la aeropista', was a crucial piece of infrastructure for the oil and gas industry in southern Veracruz. Constructed during the height of Mexico's oil boom, it served as a private logistical hub for PEMEX. Its primary function was to facilitate the rapid transport of company executives, engineers, specialized personnel, and high-priority equipment to and from the remote but economically vital Las Choapas region. The airport handled general aviation and corporate aircraft, such as light jets, turboprops (like the King Air), and various Cessna models, connecting the local oil fields with corporate headquarters and other major cities.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The construction of permanent, critical infrastructure such as a major hospital directly on the former airport grounds makes its reactivation as an aviation facility physically and logistically impossible. The land has been irrevocably converted to civic use.