Echague Airstrip

The closure was due to a combination of economic factors and strategic redundancy. The primary reasons include:
1. **Economic Viability:** As a small, unpaved airstrip, it was costly to maintain for the limited traffic it served. It lacked the facilities for larger, more modern aircraft.
2. **Infrastructure Improvement:** The development and paving of the Maharlika Highway and other local roads provided more reliable and cost-effective ground transportation for the goods and personnel that once relied on the airstrip.
3. **Consolidation at Cauayan Airport:** The nearby Cauayan Airport (RPUY), located approximately 45-50 km north, was developed into the primary commercial and logistical air hub for the province of Isabela. It offered a paved runway, navigation aids, and facilities for larger turboprop aircraft, making the small Echague airstrip obsolete.

The site of the former Echague Airstrip is completely defunct and has reverted to agricultural land. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (16.701018, 121.650809) clearly shows that the land is now part of the surrounding farmland, predominantly used for growing crops like corn. The faint, straight-line outline of the former runway is still visible from the air but is completely overgrown. There are no remaining airport buildings, hangars, or infrastructure on the site.

Echague Airstrip was a classic example of a 'feeder' or 'utility' airfield. Its historical significance lies in its role supporting the key industries of the Cagayan Valley during the mid-20th century.

- **Operations:** It primarily handled small general aviation aircraft, such as single-engine Cessnas, Pipers, and agricultural aircraft (crop dusters).
- **Primary Users:** Its main purpose was to serve the logging and large-scale agricultural industries (e.g., tobacco and corn plantations) that flourished in the region. Companies used the airstrip to transport executives, engineers, spare parts for heavy machinery, and for aerial surveying and crop spraying.
- **Role:** It provided a crucial link to a relatively remote area before the road network was fully developed, significantly cutting down travel time from Manila or other urban centers. It was never a scheduled commercial passenger airport but was vital for private and corporate logistics.

There are no known or publicly discussed plans to reopen or rehabilitate the Echague Airstrip. The aviation needs of Echague and the southern part of Isabela province are adequately met by Cauayan Airport. Any government or private sector investment in aviation infrastructure in the region is focused on maintaining and upgrading the existing facilities at Cauayan, not on reviving small, defunct airstrips. The land has been fully reintegrated into agricultural use, making any potential reopening extremely unlikely and cost-prohibitive.