Mesa Las Ánimas Airport

The precise reason is not officially documented, as it was a private airstrip. However, the closure is consistent with one or a combination of the following factors common for such airfields in Mexico:
1. **Abandonment:** The most probable reason is that the private owner (likely a local ranch or agricultural enterprise) no longer had the need or financial means to maintain and operate the airstrip.
2. **Lack of Official Status:** Many small, private airstrips in Mexico operate in a legal gray area. The Mexican Civil Aviation Authority (Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil - AFAC) has periodically cracked down on unregistered or non-compliant airfields, leading to their forced closure or abandonment.
3. **Security Concerns:** The state of Chihuahua is a key corridor for drug trafficking. The Mexican military (SEDENA) actively identifies and disables unauthorized or clandestine airstrips ('pistas clandestinas') to disrupt cartel logistics. It is possible the airstrip was either used for illicit purposes and abandoned, or deliberately rendered unusable by authorities to prevent such use.

As of the latest satellite imagery, the site is abandoned and inactive. The unpaved runway is still clearly visible from the air but appears unmaintained and is overgrown in places. There are no aircraft, support buildings (hangars, terminals), or any signs of recent aviation activity. The land has effectively reverted to being part of the surrounding arid, rural landscape and is not used for any other discernible purpose.

Mesa Las Ánimas Airport has no major historical significance. It was a small, private-use dirt airstrip, typical of those found in rural, agricultural regions of northern Mexico. Its operations, when active, would have been limited to:
- **General Aviation:** Supporting light, single-engine aircraft for private transportation.
- **Agricultural Aviation:** Potentially used for crop-dusting aircraft servicing the surrounding farms in the Namiquipa municipality, which is a significant agricultural area.
- **Logistics for Ranching:** Used by local ranchers for personal transport or moving small, high-value goods or personnel to and from the remote location.
It never handled commercial, scheduled, or significant military operations. The ICAO code 'MX-2039' is an unofficial identifier used in some non-governmental databases and not an official code assigned by the Mexican government.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Mesa Las Ánimas Airport. Reopening would be extremely unlikely due to:
- **Lack of Economic Demand:** There is no commercial, industrial, or tourism-based need for an airport at this specific remote location.
- **Regulatory Hurdles:** Gaining official certification from the AFAC for a private airstrip is a complex and expensive process.
- **Security Environment:** Given the ongoing security operations against cartel activities in the region, Mexican authorities would be highly unlikely to approve the reactivation of a remote, private airstrip that could be exploited by criminal organizations.