Mount Willoughby South Airport

Redundancy and abandonment. The 'South' airstrip was likely an older or secondary strip for the vast Mount Willoughby pastoral station. It was ultimately superseded by the primary, better-maintained Mount Willoughby Airport (ICAO: YMWB), which is located approximately 15-20 km to the north and remains operational. There was no economic or operational reason to maintain two airstrips in such close proximity.

The site is completely abandoned and unused for aviation. Satellite imagery reveals a faint, overgrown outline of a dirt runway that is slowly being reclaimed by the arid landscape. There is no remaining infrastructure such as buildings or hangars. The land is now part of the Mount Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), which was established after the pastoral lease was returned to its traditional owners, the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people.

Mount Willoughby South Airport was a classic example of a remote Australian outback airstrip. In its active years, it was a vital lifeline for the Mount Willoughby cattle station, one of South Australia's largest pastoral leases. Operations would have included:
- Transport of station personnel, equipment, and supplies.
- Receiving mail and goods via the iconic outback 'mail run' air services.
- Supporting aerial mustering operations to manage livestock over the vast property.
- Providing critical access for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) for medical emergencies.
The airstrip would have handled light, rugged, single-engine aircraft such as Cessna and Piper models capable of operating from unpaved surfaces.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening this airstrip. It is considered permanently closed. Its reopening is unnecessary due to the operational status of the main Mount Willoughby Airport (YMWB) nearby, and its location within an Indigenous Protected Area makes any new development highly unlikely.