El Refugio Airstrip

No official reason for the closure has been published. As a private airstrip, its closure is most likely linked to the cessation of the activities it supported. Plausible reasons include: a change in ownership of the associated ranch (Hacienda El Refugio), economic non-viability of maintaining a private airstrip, or the conclusion of specific agricultural, mining, or business operations that required air access. Given the region's history, another possibility is abandonment following pressure from or intervention by Mexican military authorities cracking down on illicit air traffic, although there is no specific public record of this for El Refugio.

The airstrip is abandoned and unusable for aviation. Current satellite imagery shows the outline of the runway is still clearly visible, but the surface is unmaintained, overgrown with desert vegetation, and degraded by erosion. Faint vehicle tracks can be seen crossing the runway, indicating it is now used for ground vehicle access as part of the surrounding ranch land. The associated buildings appear to be in varying states of repair, consistent with a property that is either abandoned or operating at a much-reduced capacity.

El Refugio Airstrip was a private, unpaved landing strip located in a remote desert region of Chihuahua. Its primary purpose was to serve a large, private ranch, likely the Hacienda El Refugio, providing essential air access for the transportation of personnel, supplies, and high-value goods. Operations would have been limited to small, rugged aircraft capable of handling unprepared dirt runways, such as Cessna, Piper, or similar single-engine or light twin-engine planes. It allowed for rapid travel to and from the remote property, bypassing challenging and time-consuming ground transportation routes to cities like Chihuahua or Ojinaga. The identifier MX-1533 is a non-official, national-level designator, confirming its status as a private field rather than a public airport.

There are no known or published plans to reopen El Refugio Airstrip. Reinstating the airstrip would require significant investment in clearing, grading, and compacting the runway surface. Without a new, compelling economic driver—such as a major new agricultural project, a high-end tourism venture, or renewed mining activity in the immediate vicinity—it is highly unlikely that the airstrip will be brought back into service in the foreseeable future.