El Consuelo Airport

The official reason for closure is not publicly available, which is common for small, private airstrips. The most likely reasons are a combination of economic factors and a change in ownership or use of the associated property. Private airstrips are often closed when the ranch, farm, or business they serve ceases operations, is sold, or no longer requires air access. It is also possible it was intentionally rendered unusable by authorities or owners to prevent its use for illicit activities, a common concern for remote airstrips in this region of Northern Mexico.

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. Current satellite imagery confirms the site is in a state of disrepair. The dirt runway, while still faintly visible from the air, is heavily overgrown with desert scrub and shows signs of erosion. There is no aviation infrastructure such as hangars, lighting, or terminal buildings. The land has effectively reverted to its natural state, and the former runway may be occasionally used as an informal access road by local farm or ranch vehicles.

El Consuelo Airport was never a public or commercial airport. Its historical significance is entirely private. It was a rudimentary dirt airstrip built to serve a specific, isolated location, most likely a large private ranch (Rancho El Consuelo). Operations would have been limited to light, general aviation aircraft (such as Cessna or Piper models) capable of landing on unprepared surfaces. Its purpose would have been to transport the property owners, personnel, vital supplies, and potentially high-value products, bypassing the difficult and time-consuming ground transportation in this remote part of the Chihuahuan Desert.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening El Consuelo Airport. As a private facility that has been derelict for many years, reopening would require significant private investment to clear, grade, and certify the runway. Without a compelling economic or logistical need from a new owner of the surrounding land, the prospect of it ever being used for aviation again is virtually zero.