Villa Ahumada, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport
MX-2104
-
4013 ft
MX-CHH
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 30.55739° N, -106.64962° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
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The exact closure date is not officially documented. However, analysis of historical satellite imagery indicates the airport fell into disuse and became non-operational between the late 2000s and early 2010s. Imagery from as late as 2006 shows a relatively clear and maintained airstrip, while by 2012-2015, the runway is visibly degraded and overgrown, suggesting it was abandoned circa 2010.
No official reason for the closure has been published, which is common for small, private airstrips in Mexico. The most probable reasons include:
1. **Economic Abandonment:** The airstrip was likely privately owned to support a specific business, such as a large ranch (rancho), agricultural operation, or mining exploration. It was likely abandoned when it was no longer economically viable or necessary for its owner.
2. **Clandestine Use and Disruption:** Given its location in the state of Chihuahua, a key corridor for drug trafficking, it is possible the airstrip was used for illicit purposes. The Mexican military (SEDENA) has a history of disabling such clandestine runways by trenching or otherwise rendering them unusable to disrupt cartel logistics. The closure could be a result of such an operation or abandonment due to increased law enforcement surveillance in the area.
The airport is completely closed and abandoned. The site, as seen in current satellite imagery, shows a heavily degraded and unusable runway. The dirt surface is eroded, washed out in places, and significantly overgrown with desert scrub and vegetation. While the faint outline of the runway is still visible from the air, it is crisscrossed by vehicle tracks and is in no condition to support aircraft landings or takeoffs. There are no visible buildings, hangars, fuel depots, or any other aviation infrastructure remaining at the site. The land has effectively reverted to undeveloped desert.
Carrizal Airport was a small, rudimentary dirt airstrip (aeródromo) with no record of commercial or scheduled passenger service. Its significance was purely local and utilitarian. It featured a single dirt/gravel runway approximately 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) long. Operations would have been limited to small, light aircraft, typically single-engine propeller planes (like Cessna or Piper models) suited for unprepared landing strips. Its primary purpose was to provide air access for general aviation to a remote desert area, likely serving the needs of local agriculture, large-scale ranching, or private transportation for landowners.
There are no known or published plans to reopen or redevelop Carrizal Airport. Given its complete state of disrepair, remote location, and the lack of any apparent economic driver, the prospects for its reopening are virtually zero. The nearby town of Villa Ahumada is served by the Villa Ahumada Airport (MM32), which features a paved runway, making the restoration of this primitive dirt strip redundant and economically unfeasible.
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