La Carlota Airfield

The primary reason for closure was economic obsolescence and the centralization of air traffic. As a small feeder airport, it was rendered redundant by two main factors: 1) The opening of the modern, high-capacity Bacolod-Silay International Airport (BCD), which absorbed all commercial traffic for the province. 2) Significant improvements in the provincial road network, which made land travel more efficient and economical than short-haul flights.

The airfield is abandoned and non-operational. As of the latest satellite imagery, the paved runway is still clearly visible but is in a state of disrepair. It is unmaintained, with significant vegetation growth and cracks in the pavement. The land is part of the surrounding agricultural landscape, dominated by sugarcane plantations. The runway is reportedly used informally as an access road for farm equipment and occasionally for drying harvested sugarcane.

La Carlota Airfield was a classic example of a 'sugar strip,' a type of airfield common in the Negros Occidental province, the sugar capital of the Philippines. Its main purpose was to support the local sugar industry. The airfield was used for:
- **General Aviation:** Privately owned aircraft used by wealthy plantation owners (hacenderos) for business and personal travel.
- **Agricultural Aviation:** Aircraft used for crop dusting and spraying sugarcane fields.
- **Feeder Commercial Flights:** In its heyday (mid-to-late 20th century), it likely served limited commercial or charter flights, possibly operated by carriers like Philippine Airlines (PAL) with smaller STOL aircraft (like the DHC-6 Twin Otter), connecting the community to the former Bacolod Domestic Airport and other regional hubs.

There are no known official plans, proposals, or credible prospects for reopening the La Carlota Airfield for any form of aviation. The air transport needs of La Carlota City and the surrounding region are adequately served by the Bacolod-Silay International Airport, located approximately 60 kilometers to the north. The economic case for rehabilitating and operating this small airfield is considered non-existent.