Tubares Airstrip

The closure was likely due to a combination of economic and security factors. Economically, the airstrip served a very small, remote community with limited commercial activity, making it unsustainable to maintain. As road infrastructure in the region, while still limited, improved over decades, the necessity for such a small air link diminished. From a security standpoint, remote and unsupervised airstrips in the Sierra Tarahumara region are often disabled by Mexican military authorities (SEDENA) to prevent their use by drug trafficking organizations for transporting illicit goods.

The site is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (26.94259, -108.00339) shows a clearly defined dirt runway running parallel to the Urique River. However, the runway is unmaintained, with visible signs of erosion, vegetation overgrowth, and no markings. There are no buildings, hangars, or any aviation-related infrastructure remaining. The site is effectively a land scar that is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding natural environment and is not used for any other purpose.

Tubares Airstrip was a critical piece of infrastructure for the remote community of Tubares, situated deep within the Urique Canyon, part of Mexico's larger Copper Canyon system. Before the development of more reliable roads, it served as a vital lifeline. Its operations were limited to small, general aviation aircraft, typically single-engine models with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capabilities suited for rugged, short, and unpaved runways. The airstrip's primary functions included: providing essential transportation for residents, facilitating medical evacuation flights to larger cities, supporting local small-scale mining and prospecting operations (the region has a history of silver and gold mining), and enabling access for government officials and religious missionaries serving the isolated local and indigenous Rarámuri communities.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Tubares Airstrip. The regional air transportation focus has shifted to larger, more modern airports designed to support the tourism industry, such as the Creel Barrancas del Cobre Airport (MMGA). Given the airstrip's remote location, the high cost of reconstruction and maintenance, ongoing security concerns in the region, and the lack of a significant economic driver in the immediate vicinity of Tubares, its reopening is highly improbable. The airstrip is considered functionally and economically obsolete.