Madera, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport
MX-2305
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2672 ft
MX-CHH
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 29.14964° N, -108.64173° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
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The airport was officially marked as closed sometime between 2011 and 2015. Analysis of historical satellite imagery shows the runway was still clear in 2011, but by 2015, large white 'X's, the universal symbol for a closed runway, were painted at both ends. Operations likely ceased gradually in the mid-to-late 2000s as traffic shifted to its replacement.
The airport was closed due to its replacement by a new, larger, and more modern airport for the region: Capitán Piloto Aviador Luis G. D. Almanza Airport (ICAO: MMED). This is a common reason for closing older airfields, as the new facility offered better infrastructure, a longer runway, and improved safety and operational capabilities to serve the needs of the Madera municipality.
The site is abandoned and in a state of dereliction. The original asphalt runway is still clearly visible from satellite view but is cracked, weathered, and being slowly reclaimed by vegetation. The large 'X' markings at the thresholds remain, confirming its permanent closure. A local dirt road or track now cuts across the northern portion of the runway, and the surrounding area shows signs of minor encroachment, but the land has not been formally redeveloped for another purpose.
El Refugio Airport was the original primary airfield for the city of Madera, a key center for the logging and agricultural industries in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. When active, it was a crucial piece of infrastructure, handling general aviation, air taxi services, and private charter flights. It provided an essential air link for business travel, medical evacuations, and transportation of goods to and from a relatively isolated region, connecting it with larger cities like Chihuahua.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening El Refugio Airport. With the fully operational and superior Capitán Piloto Aviador Luis G. D. Almanza Airport serving the region, there is no economic or logistical justification to restore the old, deteriorated facility. The cost of refurbishment and its less-than-ideal location compared to the new airport make its reopening highly improbable.
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