San Vicente Airport

Military Conversion. The airport was not closed due to economic failure or an accident. It was fully taken over by the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) and repurposed as a dedicated military air base for the Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana - FAM). Its strategic location in the Baja California peninsula made it valuable for military operations.

The site is currently an active and important military installation known as **Base Aérea Militar No. 3 (BAM-3) 'General de División P.A. Alberto Salinas Carranza'**. It is a key operational base for the Mexican Air Force in the region. Its functions include aerial surveillance, supporting counter-narcotics operations, troop and equipment transport, national security patrols, and serving as a forward operating base for various military aircraft. The original runway and infrastructure have been maintained and improved for military use.

Before its conversion, the airstrip, known as Campo Aéreo San Vicente, served as a rural airfield. Its primary role was to support the local agricultural communities and ranches in the San Vicente valley, an area significantly south of the main city of Ensenada. Operations would have consisted of light general aviation aircraft used for private transportation, crop dusting, logistical support for farms, and potentially emergency medical flights. It was never a commercial airport with scheduled passenger services.

There are **no known plans or prospects** for reopening the airport to public or civilian use. As an active, strategic military air base, its purpose is strictly for national defense and security. Civilian access is prohibited, and its status as a military installation is firmly established.