Imesse Airport

The specific reason for closure is not officially recorded. However, the closure is likely attributable to a combination of factors common for small, remote airfields in the region:

1. **Economic Reasons:** The primary operator (such as a local mission, a commercial plantation, or a mining company) may have ceased its activities in the area, removing the main source of air traffic and funding.
2. **Lack of Maintenance:** As an unpaved, remote airstrip, it would have required regular maintenance to remain safe and operational. A lack of funding would lead to the runway's deterioration, making it unusable.
3. **Regional Instability:** Decades of conflict and political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo led to the widespread abandonment of infrastructure, particularly in remote areas like Imesse.

The site is an abandoned and unmaintained airstrip. Satellite imagery from its coordinates (2.517298, 18.282452) shows a clearly defined but overgrown dirt/grass runway, approximately 1 kilometer in length. The runway is slowly being reclaimed by surrounding vegetation. There are no visible buildings, hangars, or any signs of aviation activity. The land does not appear to have been formally repurposed for agriculture, military, or industrial use and remains a derelict airstrip.

Imesse Airport served as a typical remote 'bush airstrip'. Its primary significance was providing a vital transportation link for the isolated village of Imesse and the surrounding area in the Mai-Ndombe Province. When active, it would have handled light, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft. Operations likely included:

- **Missionary Aviation:** Connecting local missions with larger centers for supplies and personnel.
- **Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC):** Providing critical access to emergency medical care.
- **Administrative and Logistical Support:** Used by government or commercial entities to access the remote region.
- **Cargo and Passenger Transport:** Transporting essential goods and people to and from a community with limited or non-existent road access.

There are no known or published plans to rehabilitate or reopen Imesse Airport. The prospect of reopening is considered extremely low. Re-establishing the airport would require significant investment to clear the runway, ensure its safety, and potentially build basic facilities. Such an investment would depend on a renewed economic or humanitarian need for air access to the village, which is not currently evident.