El Nopal Airport

Villa Ahumada, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport

ICAO

MX-2088

IATA

-

Elevation

4689 ft

Region

MX-CHH

Local Time

Loading...

Loading...

Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 30.01743° N, -106.04606° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

Current Weather Conditions

Loading weather data...

Loading weather data...


Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 26, 2025
Closure Date

An exact official closure date is not documented, as the airstrip was likely never officially sanctioned for public use. It was identified as a clandestine/illegal airstrip and physically disabled by Mexican authorities. This type of action occurred frequently in the region from the late 2000s through the 2010s as part of Mexico's military-led operations against drug cartels. Satellite imagery from the mid-2010s shows the runway being intentionally rendered unusable.

Reason for Closure

The airport was closed and disabled by Mexican military or federal law enforcement. Its location in a remote area of Chihuahua, a key drug trafficking corridor, and its rudimentary nature are characteristic of a clandestine airstrip ('narco-pista'). These airstrips are used by cartels to transport narcotics, weapons, and cash. The 'closure' was a deliberate act of disruption by authorities, who often disable such runways by digging deep trenches across them, creating large earth berms, or using explosives to make them unusable for aircraft.

Current Status

The site is an abandoned and disabled airstrip. Satellite imagery clearly shows the dirt runway is intentionally and permanently obstructed. Several large trenches or earthen berms have been dug perpendicular to the runway's direction, making any landing or takeoff impossible. The area has reverted to its natural desert state, and there is no infrastructure, such as buildings or hangars, on the site. It is unusable and unmaintained.

Historical Significance

El Nopal Airport had no official historical significance as a commercial or general aviation facility. Its significance was entirely within the realm of illicit logistics. It served as a strategic, unmonitored landing zone for small, single or twin-engine aircraft (e.g., Cessna 206, Piper PA-24 Comanche) used by drug trafficking organizations. These operations would have involved short, rapid turnarounds to offload or onload illegal goods, likely destined for the U.S. border, which is relatively close. It was never a public airport and did not handle any legitimate passenger or cargo traffic.

Reopening Prospects

There are no plans or prospects for reopening El Nopal Airport. Given its history as a clandestine airstrip and its deliberate destruction by government authorities, there is zero possibility of it being rehabilitated for any official or legal use. Any attempt to repair the runway would immediately attract the attention of Mexican law enforcement and military patrols in the area.

Nearby Airports

San Juan Airport
MX-2087
Villa Ahumada, MX
Closed Airport
~4 km away
Las Cuatas Airport
MX-2086
Villa Ahumada, MX
Closed Airport
~13 km away
Ojos de San Antonio Airport
MX-2089
Villa Ahumada, MX
Closed Airport
~22 km away
Rancho La Yegua Airport
MX-2160
Villa Ahumada, MX
Closed Airport
~27 km away
Noche Buena Airport
MX-2108
Villa Ahumada, MX
Closed Airport
~29 km away
Rancho El 24 Airport
MX-1312
Villa Ahumada, MX
Small Airport
~33 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

User Comments

No comments for this airport yet.

Leave a comment