Owi Airfield

Military abandonment. The airfield was a temporary forward base built for strategic purposes during the Pacific Campaign of WWII. With the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the massive airbase was no longer required, and U.S. forces withdrew from the area, returning the territory to Dutch control before it eventually became part of Indonesia.

The site is completely abandoned and has been largely reclaimed by the jungle. The outlines of the two main runways, taxiways, and some aircraft hardstands are still clearly visible from satellite imagery but are heavily overgrown with vegetation and are unusable for aircraft. There are no permanent structures or facilities remaining from its time of operation. The remnants of the airfield are occasionally visited by war history enthusiasts and locals, but it serves no official or economic purpose. The unofficial ICAO code 'ID-0125' is likely a designation from a non-governmental aviation database or flight simulator scenery for abandoned airfields.

Owi Airfield was a critically important and massive Allied airbase during World War II. Constructed by U.S. Army engineers in June 1944 after the island was secured from the Japanese during the Battle of Biak, it became a major hub for the U.S. Fifth Air Force. For a time, it served as the headquarters for the Far East Air Forces (FEAF) under General George Kenney. The complex consisted of two parallel 7,000-foot runways, extensive taxiways, and hardstands for hundreds of aircraft. It hosted numerous bombardment and fighter groups operating B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, and P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. Operations from Owi were instrumental in the neutralization of remaining Japanese forces in New Guinea and the campaigns to retake the Philippines, as well as bombing missions against targets in Borneo and other parts of the Dutch East Indies.

There are no known plans or credible prospects for reopening Owi Airfield. The nearby Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK/WABB) on the main island of Biak adequately serves the region's air transportation needs. The immense cost of clearing the jungle, rebuilding the infrastructure to modern aviation standards, and the lack of economic or strategic demand make its reactivation highly improbable.