Cruillas Airport

The airport was closed as part of a broader Mexican government security initiative. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) identified and disabled hundreds of remote and private airstrips across the country, particularly in states like Tamaulipas, that were being used or were susceptible to use by drug trafficking organizations for illicit activities. Cruillas Airport's remote location and basic infrastructure made it a high-risk asset, leading to its official closure and physical incapacitation by authorities.

The site is abandoned and permanently closed. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (24.74394, -98.51397) clearly shows that the dirt runway has been intentionally rendered unusable. Several deep ditches or berms have been cut across the runway at regular intervals. This is a standard method employed by the Mexican military to ensure airstrips cannot be used for takeoffs or landings. The surrounding area is overgrown with scrubland vegetation, and there is no remaining infrastructure in use.

Cruillas Airport, also known as Aeropista de Cruillas, was never a commercial airport and thus had no IATA code. It was a small, private dirt airstrip (aeródromo) primarily serving general aviation. Its operations were likely limited to supporting local agricultural activities, such as crop dusting for the surrounding farms, and providing private air transport for local ranch owners and businesses in the rural municipality of Cruillas. Its historical significance is mainly as an example of local rural infrastructure that became a liability during the height of the Mexican Drug War, leading to its forced closure.

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Cruillas Airport. Given that it was closed for national security reasons and has been physically destroyed, its reopening is considered extremely unlikely. The original need for the airstrip was minimal, and the cost of repair and securing it against potential illicit use would be prohibitive.