Mazapil Airfield

Replacement and Obsolescence. The airfield was a rudimentary, unpaved strip that served the initial exploration and construction phases of the massive Peñasquito mine. As the mine, operated by Goldcorp (now Newmont), became fully operational, a larger, paved, and more modern airport was required to handle larger aircraft (like the Dash 8), more frequent flights for personnel rotation, and ensure all-weather operational safety. The old airfield became redundant upon the opening of the new Peñasquito Airstrip (ICAO: MM59) approximately 8 km to the northeast.

The site is abandoned and defunct. High-resolution satellite imagery shows the clear outline of a single dirt/gravel runway, but it is unmaintained and shows signs of erosion and vegetation growth. There are no visible aircraft, buildings, or ground activity. The airfield has been completely superseded by the new facility and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding arid landscape.

The airfield's significance is tied directly to the development of the Peñasquito mine, one of Mexico's largest gold, silver, lead, and zinc producers. When active, it was a critical logistical asset in a very remote region. Its operations consisted of:
- **General Aviation:** Primarily serving small charter and private aircraft.
- **Personnel Transport:** Flying in and out key personnel such as geologists, engineers, executives, and specialized contractors during the mine's exploration and early development stages.
- **Light Cargo:** Transporting urgent, high-value, or lightweight equipment and supplies that were not practical to move via the limited road network at the time.

Effectively zero. There are no plans or logical reasons to reopen Mazapil Airfield (MX-1629). The mining operations it once served are now supported by the far superior, paved, and actively managed Peñasquito Airstrip (MM59). The old airfield offers no strategic or economic advantage and would require a complete reconstruction to be usable, an investment for which there is no demand.