El Retache Airport

Pánuco, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport

ICAO

MX-2425

IATA

-

Elevation

151 ft

Region

MX-VER

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 21.90126° N, -98.31478° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 26, 2025
Closure Date

The exact closure date is not officially documented. However, analysis of historical satellite imagery indicates a gradual decline. The airstrip appears serviceable in the early 2000s but shows significant signs of disuse and vegetation overgrowth by the early 2010s. It was likely abandoned and became fully unserviceable sometime between 2005 and 2012.

Reason for Closure

While no official reason is cited, the evidence strongly suggests abandonment due to economic factors. Small, private airstrips like El Retache are often tied to the fortunes of a specific ranch, farm, or local business. The closure was likely due to the owner no longer needing or being able to afford the maintenance of the strip. There is no evidence of a major accident, military conversion, or specific government order forcing its closure.

Current Status

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. Current satellite imagery shows the former dirt/grass runway is completely overgrown with vegetation and is no longer distinguishable from the surrounding farmland except for a faint outline. The site has been reclaimed by nature and is completely unserviceable for any aviation activity. The land appears to be part of the adjacent agricultural properties.

Historical Significance

El Retache Airport was a small, private airstrip (aeródromo) with no record of commercial or scheduled passenger service. Its significance was purely local, serving the needs of general aviation in a rural area. Its primary operations would have included:
- **Private Transport:** Used by light aircraft for the owners of the surrounding land, likely a large ranch ('hacienda') or agricultural enterprise, for quick access to and from the property.
- **Agricultural Aviation:** Potentially used for crop-dusting aircraft ('fumigación aérea') to service the extensive farmland in the Pánuco region.
- **General Aviation:** May have been used by other private pilots with permission. The identifier MX-2425 is not an official ICAO code but a third-party designator, reinforcing its status as a minor, likely private, airfield.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening El Retache Airport. The significant cost of restoring the runway and facilities, combined with the lack of apparent demand and the proximity of larger, operational airports like Tampico International Airport (MMTM), makes any future reactivation highly improbable.

Nearby Airports

El Lindero Airport
MX-2424
Pánuco, MX
Closed Airport
~7 km away
Cruz Negra Airstrip
MX-1315
Pánuco, MX
Small Airport
~11 km away
El Frater Airport
MX-0816
Pánuco, MX
Small Airport
~20 km away
La Ensenada Airport
MX-0228
San Vicente Tancuayalab, MX
Small Airport
~21 km away
Plan de Iguala Airport
MX-0400
Ébano, MX
Small Airport
~23 km away
Tanchijol Airstrip
MX-1316
El Higo, MX
Small Airport
~23 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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