Unggulpalek Airstrip

The closure was primarily due to a combination of factors common for remote, single-purpose airstrips in Papua. The most likely reasons include:
1. **Cessation of Original Purpose:** The airstrip was likely built to support a specific mission station, a small community, or a resource exploration camp. When the mission or company relocated or ceased operations in the area, the airstrip lost its purpose.
2. **Economic Non-viability:** The high cost of maintaining a runway in a tropical jungle environment, coupled with very low flight frequency, made it economically unsustainable.
3. **Population Shift or Improved Alternatives:** The local community may have relocated, or a more accessible, larger regional airstrip may have been developed, rendering Unggulpalek redundant.

The site of the former Unggulpalek Airstrip is completely abandoned and has been reclaimed by the surrounding jungle. Satellite imagery confirms that the runway is heavily overgrown with dense vegetation and is no longer visible or usable as an airstrip. There are no remaining structures or signs of recent human activity at the site. It exists only as a faint scar on the landscape, visible from the air.

Unggulpalek Airstrip was a vital piece of local infrastructure, typical of many 'pioneer' or 'missionary' airfields in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia. Its significance was not national but crucial for the isolated community it served.

When active, it handled operations for small STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the Pilatus PC-6 Porter or Cessna 206/Caravan. These flights, often operated by missionary aviation groups (like MAF - Mission Aviation Fellowship) or subsidized pioneer flight operators, were the sole lifeline for the village. They provided access to medical care and evacuations, delivered essential supplies like food and medicine, and transported personnel such as doctors, teachers, and missionaries in a region with no road access.

There are no known or publicly documented plans to reopen Unggulpalek Airstrip. The prospects for its reopening are considered extremely low to non-existent. The significant cost of clearing the jungle, rebuilding and grading the runway, and re-establishing basic facilities would be prohibitive without a major new economic or strategic driver for the immediate area, such as a new mining or logging operation. Given its remote location and the advanced state of decay, it is effectively a permanently closed historical site.