Tentena Airport

Economic and infrastructural redundancy. The development and major expansion of Kasiguncu Airport in Poso, located about 60 km north, rendered the small Tentena airstrip obsolete. Kasiguncu Airport features a longer runway and superior facilities capable of handling larger modern commercial aircraft (like the ATR 72), making it the designated air gateway for the Poso Regency and making the limited Tentena field economically unviable.

The airport is permanently closed and inactive for all aviation purposes. The paved runway remains visible but is unmaintained and shows signs of degradation. The site is now used informally by the local community for various non-aviation activities, including drying agricultural products like cocoa and cloves, serving as a driving practice area, and for recreational and community events. It has effectively been repurposed as public open space.

Tentena Airport was a vital pioneer airstrip ('lapangan terbang perintis') that provided essential air connectivity for the remote town of Tentena and the Lake Poso region before robust road infrastructure was established. It was particularly crucial for missionary aviation organizations, such as Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), which used the strip to provide medical, logistical, and transport services to isolated communities in Central Sulawesi. The airport handled small Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft like the Cessna, Pilatus Porter, and DHC-6 Twin Otter, and also played a role in supporting the early tourism industry around the lake.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Tentena Airport. The Indonesian government's focus is on maintaining and developing the larger Kasiguncu Airport as the primary hub for the region. Reopening the old airstrip is considered economically unfeasible due to its close proximity to an existing, superior airport, its short runway unsuitable for modern commercial traffic, and the significant investment that would be required to bring it up to current aviation safety standards.