El Desmonte Airport

The closure is overwhelmingly likely due to economic factors and obsolescence. The primary reasons include:
1. **Improved Ground Transportation:** The paving and improvement of regional roads, such as Federal Highway 17, reduced travel times and provided a more cost-effective alternative to air travel for the small local population.
2. **Lack of Demand:** Nácori Chico is a municipality with a very small population (around 2,000 inhabitants). As road access improved, the demand for general aviation flights dwindled, making the airport economically unviable.
3. **High Maintenance Costs:** The cost of maintaining a runway, even a simple dirt or gravel one, was likely too high relative to its low usage, leading to it falling into a state of disrepair.

The site is currently an abandoned and derelict airstrip. The dirt runway is no longer maintained, heavily eroded, and significantly overgrown with shrubs and other vegetation. It is completely unsuitable for any type of aircraft landing or takeoff. The area appears to be used informally by local ground vehicles, as faint tracks are sometimes visible, but it serves no official purpose. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure like buildings, hangars, or lighting.

El Desmonte Airport was a crucial lifeline for the remote and isolated community of Nácori Chico, situated in the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental. When active, it primarily handled general aviation and charter flights. Its operations were vital for:
- **Connectivity:** Transporting residents, government officials, and essential supplies to and from larger cities.
- **Economic Support:** Facilitating access for personnel and equipment related to local mining and ranching activities, which are the traditional industries of the region.
- **Emergency Services:** Serving as a critical point for medical evacuations (air ambulance) in a region where ground transportation to advanced medical facilities could take many hours.
For decades, this airstrip was the fastest and sometimes the only reliable way to access the community.

There are no known or published plans to reopen El Desmonte Airport. A reopening is considered highly improbable due to the lack of economic justification, the small local population, and the established road network. The cost to clear, regrade, and certify the runway for safe operation would be substantial. Any future large-scale industrial or mining project in the area that requires air access would likely opt to build a new, modern airstrip to its own specifications rather than refurbish the old one.