Yassip Airstrip

The closure was primarily due to economic and administrative reasons. Following Papua New Guinea's independence, government funding and the administrative systems (like the 'kiap' patrol officers) that supported the maintenance of remote rural airstrips declined significantly. Without regular funding for upkeep, grading, and clearing, the unpaved grass runway became overgrown and eroded, eventually being declared unsafe and unusable for aircraft operations. There is no evidence of a specific accident or military conversion leading to its closure.

Satellite imagery confirms the airstrip is completely defunct. The faint outline of the runway is still visible on the mountainside, but it is entirely overgrown with tall grass, shrubs, and other vegetation. It is not maintained and is unsuitable for any form of aviation. The land is likely used by the local villagers as a footpath or common open space. The nearby mission station and village appear to remain inhabited.

Yassip Airstrip was a critical lifeline for the remote Yassip Mission (a Catholic mission) and the surrounding communities in the Torricelli Mountains of Lumi District, Sandaun Province. (Note: The airstrip is in Sandaun/West Sepik Province, not East Sepik as sometimes mistakenly referenced). Built likely by missionaries or the pre-independence Australian administration, it provided the only reliable access to this isolated area, which lacks road connections. The airstrip facilitated the delivery of essential medical supplies, food, building materials, and mail. It was crucial for medical evacuations and for transporting personnel such as missionaries, teachers, and government officers. Operations were conducted by small Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, like the Cessna 206 and Pilatus Porter, flown by missionary aviation groups and third-level commercial operators. It was known as a challenging 'bush' airstrip, featuring a one-way approach for landing uphill and taking off downhill on a narrow ridge.

There are currently no known official or funded plans to rehabilitate and reopen Yassip Airstrip. While the need for air access in the region persists, the significant cost of restoring the runway to a safe and certifiable standard is a major barrier. Government bodies in PNG, such as the Rural Airstrips & Wharves Development Agency (RAWDA), are tasked with restoring rural infrastructure, but Yassip has not been publicly identified as a priority project. Reopening would require a substantial investment from the national or provincial government, or partnership with a non-governmental organization, making its prospects in the near future very low.