El Realito Airport

The primary reason for the closure was security-related. During the 2000s, the Mexican government and military escalated efforts to combat drug trafficking organizations (cartels) in the region. Remote, unsupervised airstrips like El Realito were often forcibly closed or disabled (sometimes by trenching the runway) to prevent their use for transporting drugs, weapons, and personnel. Contributing factors would have included economic non-viability, the high cost of maintenance for a remote airstrip with very low traffic, and the increasing risk for legitimate general aviation pilots to operate in the area.

The site of the former airstrip is still identifiable as a long, flat, cleared strip of land running parallel to the Batopilas River, just north of the town. Satellite imagery shows the unpaved runway is no longer maintained for aviation purposes. It is partially overgrown with vegetation and appears to be used informally by locals as an access road or open space. There is no remaining airport infrastructure, such as hangars, fuel depots, or terminal facilities, which is typical for a simple bush airstrip.

El Realito was a crucial, unpaved airstrip (aeropista) that provided essential air access to the historically significant and extremely remote mining town of Batopilas, situated at the bottom of a deep canyon. Batopilas was a world-famous silver mining center in the 18th and 19th centuries. The airstrip, a 20th-century development, served as a vital link to the outside world long after the main mining boom. It handled general aviation traffic, primarily small single-engine aircraft like Cessnas and Pipers. Operations included transporting personnel and supplies for residual mining activities, providing access for government and medical services, and flying in adventurous tourists and private individuals who could afford to bypass the long and treacherous road into the canyon.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening El Realito Airport. The significant security challenges in the region remain the largest barrier. Furthermore, the road into Batopilas has been improved over the years, making ground access more reliable, which reduces the critical need for an airstrip. Any proposal to reopen the facility would require a substantial investment in runway restoration, security infrastructure, and ongoing protection, which is unlikely without a major new economic driver like a large-scale tourism project or a revival in mining, coupled with a significant improvement in regional security.