MacAlder Airport

Economic reasons. The airport was a private airstrip built and operated exclusively to serve the Macalder Mine. When the mine, a major producer of gold and copper, became economically unviable due to depleted ore reserves and falling global commodity prices, it was shut down. Consequently, the supporting airstrip was no longer needed and was abandoned.

The site is completely defunct and abandoned. Satellite imagery of the coordinates reveals a clearly defined, straight scar on the landscape where the dirt/grass runway existed. However, it is heavily overgrown with vegetation and is unmaintained and unusable for any aviation purposes. There is no remaining airport infrastructure such as hangars or terminal buildings. The land has reverted to nature and is likely used for local grazing or agriculture by the surrounding community.

The airstrip was a critical piece of infrastructure for the Macalder Mine, which was one of Kenya's most important mining operations from the 1930s to the 1970s. Operated by the Canadian-owned Macalder-Nyanza Mines Ltd., the airport provided a vital link for this remote location. It handled light aircraft operations for transporting key personnel, engineers, high-value cargo (including processed minerals), urgent supplies, and for medical evacuations. It was essential for the logistical and economic success of the mine during its peak in the colonial and early post-independence era of Kenya. The provided ICAO code, KE-0205, is not an official ICAO identifier (which start with 'HK' for Kenya) but is likely a pseudo-code used in non-official databases or flight simulators to catalogue small or historical airfields.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen the MacAlder Airport. The original economic purpose for its existence is gone. While there has been renewed interest in mineral exploration in the Migori region, modern logistics rely more on the significantly improved road network or existing, operational airports nearby, such as Migori Airport (IATA: n/a, ICAO: HKMI). The cost of rehabilitating the derelict strip and rebuilding infrastructure would be substantial, making it an unviable project without a massive new industrial driver. Prospects for reopening are considered non-existent.