Pomacocha Airport

The closure was due to economic and logistical obsolescence. The airstrip was a small, gravel field supporting early mining exploration. It was made redundant by the development of the much larger, paved, and better-equipped Inmaculada Airport (ICAO: SPIN), located approximately 40 km to the southeast. The Inmaculada Airport was built to support the large-scale operations of the Inmaculada and Pallancata silver and gold mines, operated by Hochschild Mining. The new airport offered superior capacity and safety, rendering the smaller Pomacocha strip unnecessary.

The site is completely abandoned and defunct. The outline of the gravel runway is still visible on satellite imagery as a scar on the high-altitude landscape. However, it is unmaintained, showing significant signs of erosion and is being reclaimed by native vegetation. There are no buildings or infrastructure remaining at the site. It is not used for any purpose.

Pomacocha Airport was a private, high-altitude airstrip, situated at an elevation of approximately 4,600 meters (15,000 feet). Its primary function was to provide crucial logistical support for mineral exploration and the initial phases of mining projects in the extremely remote Pomacocha/Pallancata region of the Andes. When active, it would have handled specialized STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the Pilatus PC-6, Cessna Caravan, or DHC-6 Twin Otter. These flights were essential for transporting personnel (geologists, engineers), high-priority light cargo (spare parts, medical supplies), and for performing emergency medical evacuations in an area where ground transportation is slow and arduous.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening Pomacocha Airport. It is considered permanently closed. The aviation needs of the entire region are now fully and more efficiently served by the modern Inmaculada Airport (SPIN), making any investment in rehabilitating the old Pomacocha strip economically and logistically unjustifiable.