Aidirgandí Airport

The closure was likely due to a combination of economic and logistical factors. Maintaining a remote, unpaved airstrip in a tropical climate is costly and requires constant effort to prevent vegetation overgrowth and erosion. The primary reasons for its closure probably include:
1. **Deterioration of Surface:** The grass/dirt runway likely deteriorated to a point where it was no longer safe for aircraft to land and take off.
2. **High Maintenance Costs:** The local community or authorities may have lacked the funds or resources to properly maintain the airstrip.
3. **Consolidation of Services:** Air services in the Guna Yala region may have been consolidated to nearby, better-maintained, or more strategically located airports, making smaller strips like Aidirgandí redundant.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (9.35515, -78.34587) clearly shows the faint outline of the former runway adjacent to the village of Aidirgandí. The entire length of the strip is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and other vegetation, rendering it unusable for any aviation activity. The land appears to be used informally by the local community, with footpaths crossing the former runway, but no permanent structures have been built on it. It has effectively been reclaimed by nature.

Aidirgandí Airport was a vital transportation link for the remote, indigenous Guna community of Aidirgandí, located on the Caribbean coast of Panama. In a region with limited road infrastructure, the airstrip was crucial for connecting the village to the rest of the country. When active, it handled small, STOL-capable (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Britten-Norman Islander, and various Cessna models. Its primary operations included:
- **Passenger Transport:** Flying residents to and from Panama City and other regional towns.
- **Medical Evacuations:** Providing life-saving transport for medical emergencies.
- **Cargo and Supplies:** Bringing in essential goods like food, medicine, fuel, and mail.
- **Government and NGO Access:** Facilitating access for government officials, aid workers, and missionaries.

There are no known or published plans by the Panamanian Civil Aviation Authority (Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil de Panamá) or the Guna General Congress to reopen Aidirgandí Airport. Reopening the airstrip would require significant investment to clear the vegetation, regrade the runway surface, and ensure it meets modern safety standards. Given the high cost and the existence of other operational airstrips in the Guna Yala region, the prospects for the reopening of Aidirgandí Airport are considered extremely low.