Noche Buena Airport

There is no official documented reason for the closure. However, the evidence strongly suggests the airstrip was abandoned for economic reasons. As a private, rudimentary airstrip likely serving a specific local entity (such as a large ranch, agricultural operation, or mine), its operation was dependent on the viability and needs of that entity. The closure was likely due to the cessation of the business it supported, a change in ownership, or the owner no longer having a need or the funds for a private airstrip. It was not a public airport, so its closure would not have been a public event.

The airport is abandoned and completely unusable for aviation. Current satellite imagery shows the dirt runway is still faintly visible but is heavily overgrown with desert scrub and shows signs of erosion. There are no aircraft, equipment, or signs of any activity on the site. The surrounding land is undeveloped arid terrain. The site has reverted to its natural state and is not being used for any other purpose.

Noche Buena Airport was a small, private utility airstrip. Its significance was purely local, serving the logistical needs of its owner. It consisted of a single, unpaved dirt/gravel runway (approximately 1,200 meters / 3,900 feet long) with no permanent buildings, hangars, fuel services, or a control tower. Operations would have been limited to VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions for light aircraft, such as single-engine propeller planes (e.g., Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee) or bush planes capable of operating from unprepared surfaces. Its primary purpose was likely for general aviation, providing private transportation for the owners of a nearby ranch or business, or potentially for agricultural activities like crop dusting.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Noche Buena Airport. Given its remote location, lack of infrastructure, and the private nature of its original function, reopening would require a significant new economic driver in the immediate vicinity, such as the establishment of a new large-scale mining, agricultural, or industrial project that would necessitate a private airstrip. The likelihood of this is considered extremely low.