American River Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic and logistical redundancy. The main airport on the island, Kingscote Airport (YKSC), underwent significant upgrades and expansion around 2017-2018, becoming the central hub for all air traffic. The small, unsealed, and basic American River airstrip could not compete and was no longer necessary for private or tourist operations, which were consolidated at the superior, all-weather facility at Kingscote.

The site is abandoned. Satellite imagery clearly shows the remnants of the single dirt/grass runway, but it is overgrown with vegetation and is completely unmaintained. The land has not been redeveloped for other purposes and is essentially vacant scrubland. It is unusable for any aviation purposes in its current state.

American River Airport served as a local, private-use airstrip for the community of American River. Its primary function was to support general aviation, including private pilots, recreational flying, and potentially small air charter or scenic flight operations for tourists visiting the eastern part of Kangaroo Island. It provided convenient access for light aircraft to this specific settlement but never handled scheduled commercial flights or large aircraft. Its significance was purely local, serving a small community before the main island airport was developed to its current standard.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the American River Airport. With the multi-million dollar Kangaroo Island Airport at Kingscote serving as the island's primary aviation gateway, there is no practical or economic justification to reinstate this small, rudimentary airstrip. The focus for all future aviation development on the island is centered on the main airport.