Kirigueti Airfield

The primary reason for closure was functional obsolescence. The rudimentary Kirigueti airstrip was replaced by the larger, paved, and more modern Nuevo Mundo Airport (ICAO: SPNM), located just a few kilometers away. The new airport was specifically constructed to support the massive logistical requirements of the Camisea Gas Project, which needed to handle larger aircraft (like the Dash 8) and a higher volume of flights for personnel and cargo than Kirigueti could safely accommodate.

The site of the former airfield has been fully integrated into the community of Kirigueti. The physical runway is still visible from satellite imagery, but it is no longer an active aviation facility. It has been repurposed by the local population and now functions as the town's main street, a public space, and includes a community soccer field. Numerous houses and other buildings have been constructed directly adjacent to and on the former runway safety areas, making it permanently unusable for aircraft operations.

Kirigueti Airfield was a crucial piece of infrastructure during the early exploration and development stages of the Camisea Gas Project, one of the largest energy projects in Peru's history. Beginning in the 1980s and through the 1990s, this unpaved airstrip was the primary lifeline to the outside world for the remote gas fields. It handled small, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft that transported geologists, engineers, workers, and essential supplies into the deep Amazon jungle. Its existence was fundamental to establishing the initial operations that would later become a cornerstone of Peru's energy supply.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kirigueti Airfield. The proximity and superior capabilities of the private Nuevo Mundo Airport (SPNM) make Kirigueti redundant for industrial purposes. Given that the land has been repurposed by the local community for housing, infrastructure, and recreation, any effort to reopen it would be logistically and socially infeasible.