El Retorno Airport

Economic and practical reasons. El Retorno was a private airfield, and its closure was not a singular event but rather a gradual abandonment. The most probable reason is that it was no longer economically viable or necessary for its private owner. This can happen if the business it supported (e.g., a large ranch or agricultural enterprise) was sold, changed its transportation methods, or ceased operations. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a major accident, military conversion, or government action.

The site is an abandoned and derelict airstrip. The original dirt/grass runway is still clearly visible from satellite view, but it is completely overgrown with grass and shrubs and is bisected by several dirt tracks. The land has effectively reverted to agricultural use, likely for grazing, and is indistinguishable from the surrounding farmland. The facility is completely unusable for any form of aviation.

El Retorno Airport was a private airstrip ('aeropista') with local, not public, significance. Its name suggests it served the 'Rancho El Retorno' or a similarly named agricultural business in the municipality of González, Tamaulipas. Operations would have been restricted to general aviation, handling small, single-engine aircraft like Cessnas or Pipers. Its primary functions were likely private transport for the ranch owners/managers, agricultural aviation (crop dusting), and potentially for managing livestock over a large area. It never handled commercial passenger or cargo traffic.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening El Retorno Airport. As a small, privately-owned airstrip with no strategic importance, there is no public or commercial interest in funding its restoration. A reopening would require a private entity to invest significant capital to clear, regrade, and certify the runway, which is highly unlikely given the availability of larger, public airports in the region, such as Tampico International Airport (MMTM) located approximately 70 km to the southeast.