Machogueachi Airport

While no single official reason has been published, the closure is likely due to a combination of factors common to remote airstrips in the Sierra Tarahumara region:
1. **Economic Obsolescence:** The airstrip may have been built to support a specific, now-defunct, local industry such as logging, mining, or a particular agricultural project. Once the economic driver ceased, the airstrip was no longer maintained or used.
2. **Lack of Maintenance:** As an unpaved, dirt runway in a rugged environment, it would require constant upkeep. Without funding or a dedicated user, the surface would have quickly deteriorated from weather erosion, rendering it unsafe for aircraft operations.
3. **Consolidation of Air Services:** The development and recent opening of the larger, paved Creel Barrancas International Airport (MMGA) approximately 55 km to the northeast provides a modern, all-weather facility for the entire region, making small, rudimentary airstrips like Machogueachi redundant for tourism or general transport.
4. **Security Operations:** The Mexican government and military have actively disabled numerous remote and unsupervised airstrips in states like Chihuahua to prevent their use by drug trafficking organizations for illicit activities. It is plausible that Machogueachi was closed as part of these security initiatives.

The site is abandoned and the airport is defunct. Satellite imagery clearly shows the faint outline of a single, unpaved dirt runway. The surface is significantly overgrown with vegetation and shows clear signs of erosion and disuse. There are no visible buildings, hangars, or any supporting infrastructure remaining. The airstrip is completely unusable for any aviation purposes in its current condition and the land appears to be reverting to its natural state.

Machogueachi Airport held no major national or international significance. Its importance was strictly local, serving as a vital lifeline for the isolated community of Machogueachi and the surrounding areas in the Sierra Tarahumara. When active, it would have handled small, single-engine, Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft, such as Cessna 206s or similar 'bush planes'. Operations were likely limited to:
- **General Aviation:** Providing access for private pilots or small charter services.
- **Medical Evacuations:** Transporting patients from the remote community to hospitals in larger cities.
- **Supply Transport:** Delivering essential goods, mail, and medicine.
- **Industrial Support:** Servicing local mining, logging, or agricultural operations by transporting personnel and equipment.
- **Missionary/Government Work:** Used by religious missions or government agencies for outreach programs in the remote region.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Machogueachi Airport. The probability of it ever being reactivated is extremely low. The recent inauguration of the Creel Barrancas International Airport (MMGA) serves as the primary aviation hub for the region, negating any potential need for this small, primitive airstrip. Any effort to reopen it would require significant investment to completely clear, regrade, and certify the runway, for which there is no apparent economic or logistical justification.