Mesa Los Bajíos Airport

While no official government announcement specifies the exact reason, the closure is consistent with actions taken by Mexican authorities, particularly the military (SEDENA), to disable airstrips suspected of being used for illicit activities. The Sierra Madre Occidental region is a known corridor for drug trafficking, and authorities have systematically destroyed or disabled hundreds of such clandestine or remote, unsecured airstrips to disrupt cartel logistics. The closure was likely a preventative measure as part of a broader counter-narcotics strategy rather than due to economic reasons or a specific accident.

The airport is permanently closed and unusable for aviation. Satellite imagery confirms the runway is marked with large, painted 'X's at both thresholds, the universal indicator of a closed runway. The surface is unmaintained, showing signs of significant erosion, vegetation growth, and vehicle tracks. There are no buildings, hangars, or infrastructure remaining on the site. The land appears to be unused.

Mesa Los Bajíos Airport was a small, general aviation airstrip serving the remote municipality of Sahuaripa. Its primary function was to provide air access to a region with challenging mountainous terrain and limited road infrastructure. Operations would have included light private aircraft for transportation of people and goods, medical evacuations, and access for local ranchers and businesses. It featured a single, unpaved (dirt/gravel) runway approximately 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) long, situated on a prominent mesa overlooking the town. It never handled commercial airline traffic and its ICAO code 'MX-2162' is an unofficial identifier used in non-governmental databases, not an official code assigned by the ICAO.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Mesa Los Bajíos Airport. Its closure appears to have been a deliberate and permanent action by authorities. Furthermore, its role has been made redundant by the construction of a newer, paved airfield, Sahuaripa Airport (ICAO: MM69), located approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the northeast. This newer facility serves the current aviation needs of the community, making the reopening of the old, less-equipped Mesa Los Bajíos strip highly improbable.