Nairrubi Airstrip

There is no officially cited reason for the closure. The cause is almost certainly economic, resulting from the cessation of the specific activity the airstrip was built to support. Remote airstrips like this are expensive to maintain and are typically abandoned when the project they serve (e.g., a mineral prospecting camp, a large-scale farm, or an NGO mission) concludes its operations or becomes economically unviable. The closure was not due to a major accident or military conversion.

The airstrip is currently abandoned and completely derelict. Satellite imagery confirms that the runway is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and small trees, making it unusable for any aircraft. The faint outline of the ~800-meter runway is still visible from the air, but the site is reverting to bushland. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or infrastructure associated with the airstrip. The land is not being formally used for any other purpose.

Nairrubi Airstrip was a small, rudimentary airfield with purely local significance. It served as a vital logistical link for a very remote area in Mozambique's Niassa Province, a region with historically poor road infrastructure. During its active period, it would have handled light, single-engine bush planes (like a Cessna 206, Pilatus Porter, or similar STOL aircraft) for transporting personnel, light cargo, and critical supplies. Its operations were likely tied to private commercial interests such as agricultural development, forestry, or mineral/geological exploration, or potentially for humanitarian/missionary work in the post-civil war era.

There are no known or published plans to reopen Nairrubi Airstrip. Given its remote location, the lack of a significant population center nearby, and the absence of any major economic driver in the immediate vicinity, the prospects for reopening are extremely low. Any future use would require a new, significant private or government investment in the area that necessitates air access, which is not currently foreseen. The cost of clearing, regrading, and maintaining the runway would be substantial with no apparent demand.