Sain Alto, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport
MX-1974
-
7186 ft
MX-ZAC
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 23.48372° N, -103.08849° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: Valparaiso Cattle Ranch Valparaiso Ranch
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The exact date of closure is not officially documented. However, analysis of historical satellite imagery indicates a gradual cessation of maintenance and use. The airstrip appeared well-maintained in the early 2000s but shows significant degradation by the early 2010s. It was likely unofficially abandoned and fell into disuse during this period, with aviation databases subsequently listing its status as 'Closed'.
The closure was due to private economic and operational reasons. The airstrip was named for and served the 'Ganadería Valparaíso' (Valparaíso Cattle Ranch). Such private airfields are often closed when the business they support is sold, ceases operations, or no longer finds private air transport to be financially viable or necessary for its logistics.
The site is abandoned. Satellite imagery confirms the physical outline of the unpaved runway is still clearly visible. However, it is no longer maintained for aviation. The surface is weathered and overgrown in places, and it appears to be used informally by local ground vehicles as a dirt track. There are no hangars, terminals, or any other aviation-related infrastructure remaining on the site. The land has effectively reverted to a simple clearing within an agricultural area.
The aerodrome's significance was entirely private, serving as a critical logistical asset for the large-scale cattle ranch it was named after. Its primary operations included:
1. **Executive/Personnel Transport:** Flying ranch owners, managers, veterinarians, and potential buyers to and from the remote location.
2. **Logistical Support:** Transporting urgent supplies, high-value cargo, spare parts for machinery, and specialized veterinary medicine.
3. **Agricultural Aviation:** Potentially used for aerial surveillance of livestock and land, or for seeding/spraying operations in the surrounding area.
Its substantial runway length (approximately 1,500 meters / 4,921 feet) suggests it was capable of handling not just small single-engine planes but also larger, twin-engine private aircraft, highlighting its importance to the ranch's operations.
There are no known or published plans to reopen the airstrip. Reopening would require a significant private investment to clear, regrade, and compact the runway surface to meet modern safety standards, as well as re-certification with Mexican aviation authorities. Given that its original purpose was tied to a specific private enterprise, its reopening is highly improbable unless a new owner acquires the land and has a similar need for a private airfield.
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