Pine Springs, US 🇺🇸 Closed Airport
US-10141
-
6930 ft
US-AZ
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 35.403322° N, -109.272852° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: 45az 45AZ 45AZ
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The exact date of closure is unknown. The airstrip was depicted on a 1987 USGS topographical map but was not listed on aeronautical charts from 1954 or later, suggesting it was established and abandoned in the latter half of the 20th century. Based on analysis of historical satellite imagery, the runway fell into disuse and became overgrown sometime between the late 1990s and early 2000s, indicating a gradual abandonment rather than a formal, dated closure.
There is no official documented reason for the closure. However, the most likely cause is economic non-viability and abandonment. Small, unpaved airstrips in remote locations like Pine Springs often close due to a lack of funding for maintenance, declining use as road infrastructure improves, and the consolidation of air services at larger, better-equipped regional airports like Gallup Municipal Airport (KGUP). There is no evidence of a specific event like an accident or military conversion leading to its closure.
The airport is completely abandoned and unusable. Current satellite imagery shows the faint, ghostly outline of a single northwest/southeast runway. The entire site is heavily overgrown with desert scrub and grasses, and a dirt track now crosses the former runway. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or any aviation infrastructure on the site. The land has reverted to natural rangeland.
Pine Springs Airport was a small, local general aviation airstrip serving the remote community of Pine Springs, located on the Navajo Nation. Its primary significance was as a lifeline, providing air access for services that were difficult or slow to deliver by road. Operations would have been limited to small, single-engine aircraft (like Cessna or Piper models) capable of using a short, unpaved runway. Its likely uses included medical evacuation (medevac) flights, transportation for personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or Indian Health Service (IHS), and private flights for local residents or ranchers. It was never a commercial or military facility and held only local importance.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Pine Springs Airport. The likelihood of it ever being reactivated is extremely low to non-existent. The cost of clearing, grading, and maintaining the runway would be significant, and there is no apparent demand to justify the expense. The needs of the community are now served by ground transportation and the nearby, full-service Gallup Municipal Airport, located approximately 35 miles to the east.