Sullana Airport

The closure was due to a combination of two main factors: 1) **Urban Encroachment:** The city of Sullana expanded rapidly, and the airport, once on the outskirts, became surrounded by residential areas, making operations unsafe and impractical. 2) **Reduced Military Need:** The airport, primarily a military air base, saw its strategic importance diminish significantly after the signing of the Brasilia Presidential Act in 1998, which settled the long-standing border dispute between Peru and Ecuador.

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and absorbed into the urban fabric of Sullana. The land where the runway, taxiways, and aprons once existed is now a dense residential neighborhood. A significant portion of this development is known as the **'Villa Militar FAP'**, a housing complex originally built for air force personnel and their families. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms that the entire area is now covered by a grid of streets, houses, schools, and parks, with no trace of the former aviation infrastructure remaining.

The airport was historically known as **Base Aérea El Chira** (El Chira Air Base). It was a critical forward operating base for the Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP - Peruvian Air Force). Its primary significance was military, playing a vital strategic role during the border conflicts with Ecuador, especially the **Paquisha War (1981)** and the **Cenepa War (1995)**. During these conflicts, it served as a launch point for combat and attack aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-22s, Mirage 5Ps, and Cessna A-37B Dragonflys, which conducted missions against targets in the conflict zone. The base also handled military logistics, transport, and medical evacuation flights. It did not serve as a commercial passenger airport for scheduled flights.

There are **zero prospects** for reopening the airport. The land has been irreversibly converted to high-density urban use. Re-establishing an airport at this location is physically impossible without demolishing a large, established residential district. The air transportation needs of Sullana and the wider Piura Region are served by the nearby **Capitán FAP Guillermo Concha Iberico International Airport (IATA: PIU, ICAO: SPUR)** in Piura, which is approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) to the south.