Henty Airstrip

While no official reason has been published, the closure is almost certainly due to the cessation of its primary function. Small, private airstrips like Henty were typically established for agricultural aviation (topdressing). The closure likely resulted from a combination of factors common to such strips in New Zealand: a change in land ownership, the retirement of the operator, the farm no longer requiring aerial services, or the consolidation of agricultural aviation services into larger, more centrally located airfields, making small, local strips economically unviable to maintain.

The site is currently private farmland. The geographic outline of the former runway is still visible in satellite views as a long, straight clearing. However, the surface is completely overgrown with grass and is used for agricultural purposes, likely grazing livestock. There are no remaining aviation facilities like hangars or windsocks visible. For all practical purposes, the land has fully reverted to being part of the surrounding farm.

Henty Airstrip's significance was purely local and agricultural. It was a classic example of a 'topdressing strip' built to serve the surrounding farming community in Northland. Its operations would have primarily involved light, robust agricultural aircraft, such as the Fletcher FU-24 or similar models, taking off with loads of fertilizer for aerial spreading on the hilly local terrain. These strips were vital to the productivity of New Zealand's pastoral farming from the 1950s through the early 2000s. The airstrip may also have been used for occasional private, recreational flights by the landowner or local pilots, but its main purpose was economic and agricultural support.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Henty Airstrip. As the airstrip is on private land, any decision to recommission it would rest solely with the landowner. Given the high cost of maintenance, lack of public or commercial demand, and the general trend of decommissioning such small rural strips, a reopening is considered extremely unlikely.