Las Noritas Airport

The most probable reason for closure is economic abandonment. Small, private airfields like Las Noritas are typically built to serve a specific commercial interest, such as a mine, a large ranch, or an agricultural project. The closure was likely due to the cessation or unprofitability of the operation it supported. The gradual decay visible in satellite imagery, rather than a sudden change, supports the theory of abandonment over other reasons like a major accident or government action.

The site is completely abandoned and derelict. The unpaved runway is heavily overgrown with desert scrub and brush. It is severely eroded and washed out in several places, making it completely unusable for any type of aircraft. There are no signs of recent activity or maintenance. The land is effectively reverting to its natural state.

Las Noritas Airport was a private, utilitarian airstrip serving general aviation. Its significance was purely logistical, providing crucial air access to a remote and rugged area of Soyopa, Sonora, which is difficult to reach by ground. It was likely used by a mining company for transporting personnel, geologists, and high-value, low-volume supplies, or by a large private ranch (*rancho*) for similar purposes. Operations would have been limited to small, STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable aircraft, such as Cessna 206s, Helio Couriers, or light twin-engine planes, operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). It was never a public airport and did not handle commercial passenger traffic.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Las Noritas Airport. The cost to clear, grade, and restore the runway to a usable condition would be substantial. Given its remote location and the lack of any apparent economic driver in the immediate vicinity, there is no financial incentive for its rehabilitation. Reopening would only become a possibility if a new, significant mining or commercial operation were to be established nearby that required private air access. As such, the prospects for reopening are considered to be extremely low to non-existent.