Malili Airport

Replacement and Obsolescence. The old Malili Airport was built to support the initial development of the PT Inco (now PT Vale Indonesia) nickel mining operations. As the company's needs grew, the airport became inadequate. Its short runway could not accommodate the larger aircraft, such as the Fokker F28, that the company began to use for transporting employees and cargo. Consequently, PT Vale constructed the modern Soroako Airport (WAWS/WAF) a few kilometers to the northeast with a longer runway and better facilities, making the old Malili field redundant.

The site has been completely redeveloped and repurposed for community use. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows that the original runway outline is still faintly visible, but the land is now occupied by various structures. These include a large public sports field (lapangan sepak bola), community buildings, and residential housing. The area is no longer recognizable as an airport and is fully integrated into the urban landscape of Malili/Soroako.

The old Malili Airport was the original air link to the massive Soroako nickel mining project, one of the largest in the world. Established in the 1970s, it was the primary means of transporting personnel, company executives, and critical supplies to the remote and then-inaccessible region of South Sulawesi. It primarily handled smaller charter aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and was instrumental in the construction and early operational phases of the mine and its supporting town. It served as the corporate lifeline for PT Inco before the new airport was built.

Zero. There are no plans or prospects for reopening the old Malili Airport. The site is physically no longer viable for aviation due to the extensive construction and redevelopment. All regional aviation needs, particularly for PT Vale Indonesia, are served by the nearby, fully operational Soroako Airport (WAWS/WAF). Any future investment in aviation infrastructure in the area would be directed towards upgrading or expanding the existing Soroako Airport, not re-establishing this defunct field.