Arisili, PG 🇵🇬 Closed Airport
PG-0077
-
1350 ft
PG-ESW
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: -3.55° N, 142.847° E
Continent: OC
Type: Closed Airport
Traveler reviews and detailed experiences for Arisili Airstrip (PG-0077) in Arisili, Papua New Guinea, are not readily available in public search results. The airstrip is identified as a "Closed Airfield", which likely explains the absence of recent traveler feedback.
General information about Arisili Airstrip indicates its geographical coordinates and elevation. However, there is no specific data regarding traveler sentiment, terminal facilities, amenities, cleanliness, security, customs/immigration, or transportation connections directly related to this particular airstrip.
Broader discussions about air travel within Papua New Guinea highlight common challenges such as frequent flight delays and cancellations, and the necessity of air travel due to limited road infrastructure. These general observations, however, cannot be specifically attributed to experiences at Arisili Airstrip.
Given its status as a closed airfield and the lack of specific traveler commentary, it is not possible to provide a summary of traveler experiences, notable strengths, or common complaints for Arisili Airstrip (PG-0077).
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Exact date unknown. The airstrip was officially listed as 'CLOSED' in the Papua New Guinea Rural Airstrips Agency (RAA) catalogue by 2016. Based on satellite imagery showing significant overgrowth, it has likely been unserviceable for much longer, possibly since the late 1990s or early 2000s.
While not officially documented, the closure is characteristic of many remote PNG airstrips and is almost certainly due to a lack of maintenance and use. The runway likely became unsafe for aircraft operations due to vegetation overgrowth, poor drainage, and a deteriorating surface. Without a local community or organization (like a mission or business) to fund and perform the constant upkeep required in a tropical environment, the airstrip would have been declared unusable by pilots and aviation authorities, leading to its eventual abandonment.
The airstrip is completely abandoned and unserviceable. High-resolution satellite imagery confirms that the runway is heavily overgrown with tall grass, shrubs, and trees, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding jungle from the ground. While the faint, straight-line clearing of the former strip is still visible from above, the land has reverted to nature and is not used for any aviation, agricultural, or other identifiable purpose. The small village of Arisili remains adjacent to the former airstrip site.
Arisili Airstrip was a critical lifeline for the remote village of Arisili and surrounding communities in the rugged interior of East Sepik Province. Established likely by Christian missionaries or the pre-independence Australian administration, it provided the only reliable, rapid access to an area otherwise reachable only by many days of walking. Operations would have consisted exclusively of small, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) bush planes, such as the Cessna 206, Pilatus PC-6 Porter, or Britten-Norman Islander. These flights, often operated by groups like Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), transported essential supplies, medicine, mail, and personnel (teachers, health workers, missionaries) and were vital for performing emergency medical evacuations (medevacs).
There are no known official plans, funding, or prospects for reopening Arisili Airstrip. The restoration of such a remote airstrip is a costly and labor-intensive endeavor, requiring significant earthworks, clearing, and the establishment of a long-term maintenance plan. Given the small size of the local population and the absence of any major economic driver (such as a mine, plantation, or large mission station) in the immediate area, it is highly unlikely to be prioritized for reopening by the PNG government's Rural Airstrip Agency or any private operator.