Pootnoura Airfield

Economic and logistical. The airstrip's primary purpose was to support the construction of the adjacent railway line. Once the large-scale construction project was completed, the dedicated airstrip was no longer required for personnel and supply transport, and it was subsequently abandoned.

The site is abandoned and unmaintained. Satellite imagery clearly shows a degraded and overgrown dirt runway adjacent to the Manguri railway siding on the Adelaide–Darwin rail corridor. The airstrip is completely unusable in its current condition. The area remains an isolated railway siding used for crossing loops by freight trains and The Ghan passenger train, with no other permanent infrastructure or population.

The airstrip, more commonly known as Manguri Siding Airstrip, was a crucial logistical asset during the construction of the standard gauge Tarcoola to Alice Springs railway line from 1975 to 1980. This new line replaced the flood-prone narrow-gauge 'Old Ghan' railway. Located in an extremely remote and harsh desert environment, the airstrip served as a vital link for transporting project managers, specialized workers, light cargo, and, most critically, for facilitating medical evacuations for the construction crews. Operations would have primarily involved light, single and twin-engine charter aircraft (such as Cessna, Piper, or similar) capable of operating from a basic, unpaved runway.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airstrip. Given its extreme remoteness, the absence of any local community or industry, and the high cost of refurbishment and ongoing maintenance, its reactivation is economically unviable. Any future aviation needs in the immediate vicinity would likely be met by helicopters or by utilizing better-equipped airfields in the wider region, such as Coober Pedy Airport (YPED).