Catanauan Airstrip

The closure was primarily due to economic non-viability. Catanauan Airstrip was a small 'feeder' airport that, like many others in the Philippines, struggled with low passenger and cargo demand. The high costs of maintenance, staffing, and operations could not be justified by its limited use. Furthermore, the gradual improvement of the national road network, particularly the Maharlika Highway and connecting provincial roads, provided a more cost-effective and reliable mode of transportation to and from the region, rendering the airstrip largely obsolete for commercial purposes.

The site is no longer used for any aviation activities. The physical runway, though cracked and overgrown in places, is still visible and has been repurposed by the local community. It now functions as a de facto public space and road, commonly used by locals for:
- A jogging and biking path.
- A driving practice area.
- An informal venue for community gatherings and events, including local drag races.
Significant residential encroachment has occurred over the years, with numerous houses and small structures built directly alongside and on the edges of the former runway strip, making a return to aviation use extremely difficult.

Catanauan Airstrip served as a community airport connecting the relatively remote Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon province to the rest of the country. During its active period, it primarily handled general aviation aircraft, including private planes, air taxis, and government flights. It may have also serviced limited, short-haul commercial flights using small turboprop aircraft, linking Catanauan to larger airports like Manila or Lucena. For decades, it was a critical piece of infrastructure for business travel, medical evacuations, and providing rapid access to a region where land travel was once slow and difficult. Its existence was a symbol of connectivity and development for the municipality.

Prospects for reopening are very low to non-existent in the short to medium term. A 2017 Regional Tourism Development Plan by the Department of Tourism (DOT) identified the Catanauan Airstrip as a potential site for 'development/rehabilitation' to support tourism in the Bondoc Peninsula. However, this proposal has not progressed into a funded or active project. The primary obstacle is the significant and long-standing residential encroachment on the airport's land. Reacquiring the land, relocating residents, and clearing the area would be a legally complex, socially sensitive, and financially prohibitive undertaking for the local or national government. There are currently no active or credible plans to restore the site to a functional airport.