Ciénega del Pilar Airport

The official reason for closure is undocumented. The most probable cause is economic abandonment. Small, remote airstrips like this typically support specific local industries such as mining, logging, or large private ranches. The airstrip likely fell into disuse after the supporting economic activity ceased, leading to a lack of maintenance. An alternative, though less evident from satellite imagery, is deliberate incapacitation by Mexican military authorities to prevent its use as a clandestine runway ('pista clandestina') for drug trafficking, a common practice in this region of Chihuahua.

The site is completely abandoned and non-operational. The former dirt runway is still visible on satellite imagery but is in a state of severe disrepair. It is unmaintained, heavily eroded, and overgrown with grass and shrubs, making it unsafe and unusable for any aircraft. There is no remaining infrastructure such as hangars, terminals, or support buildings at the location. The land is effectively reverting to its natural state.

Ciénega del Pilar Airport was a small, unpaved, and likely private airfield. Its ICAO code (MX-2359) is a local identifier, not an official international designation, highlighting its minor status. Its historical significance was purely local, providing vital air access for a very remote community in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. It never served commercial or scheduled flights. Operations would have consisted of general aviation aircraft, primarily light, single-engine propeller planes (e.g., Cessna 182/206), used for transporting personnel and supplies for ranching, mining, or other private ventures.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Ciénega del Pilar Airport. The likelihood of reactivation is virtually zero due to several factors: its extreme remoteness, the lack of any significant economic driver in the immediate area to justify the cost of restoration, and the prevailing security concerns within the region.