Kerevat Airfield

Military redundancy and economic non-viability. After the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the vast network of military airfields built around Rabaul, including Kerevat, was no longer required by Allied forces. It was not economically feasible to maintain or upgrade the airfield for post-war civilian aviation, and services were consolidated at other, more established locations.

The airfield is completely abandoned and disused. The site has been largely reclaimed by nature and is now part of a large palm oil plantation. The distinct, straight outline of the former runway is still visible from satellite imagery, and parts of the overgrown strip are reportedly used as a local access road for the plantation. There are no remaining buildings or aviation infrastructure.

Kerevat Airfield was a significant World War II airfield constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1943 during their occupation of New Britain. Known to the Japanese as 'Keravat #2', it served as a key satellite airfield for their major military fortress at Rabaul. The airfield was primarily used by the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) to operate fighter and bomber aircraft. From late 1943 until the end of the war, Kerevat was a primary target for intense and repeated Allied air attacks by the USAAF's 5th Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). These attacks were part of 'Operation Cartwheel', a major Allied strategy to isolate and neutralize the formidable Japanese base at Rabaul without a costly direct invasion. Following the Japanese surrender, the airfield was handed over to Australian forces and subsequently fell into disuse. Note: The ICAO code 'PG-0063' is a non-official identifier used in some databases to catalog historical or abandoned airfields; it is not an officially assigned ICAO code.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kerevat Airfield. The aviation needs of Rabaul and the East New Britain province are fully served by the modern Tokua Airport (IATA: RAB, ICAO: AYTK), which was constructed after the 1994 volcanic eruption destroyed the previous Rabaul Airport. Kerevat Airfield is considered a historical WWII site, not a viable location for any future aviation development.