Arisili Airstrip

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.