Bimin Airport

The airport was closed due to a combination of factors common to remote 'bush' airstrips in Papua New Guinea. The primary reason was the deterioration of the runway surface from lack of maintenance, making it unsafe for aircraft operations. Contributing factors include:
1. **Economic Reasons:** The high cost of maintaining the airstrip and the expense of flights became unsustainable for the small, isolated local community.
2. **Safety Concerns:** The airstrip is located at a high elevation (approx. 5,000 ft) in challenging mountainous terrain. As the unpaved grass runway eroded and became overgrown, it no longer met the safety standards required by operators and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea (CASA PNG).
3. **Logistical Challenges:** Maintaining such a remote facility requires immense community effort, which can wane over time without external support from government or mission organizations.

The airport is definitively closed and non-operational. Satellite imagery confirms that the former runway clearing is heavily overgrown with vegetation and is returning to bushland. The site is completely unusable for any form of aviation without extensive and costly rehabilitation. The land is likely used for small-scale local agriculture or has been abandoned.

Bimin Airport's significance was not national but was profoundly important at a local level. It served as a critical lifeline for the Bimin people and surrounding communities in a region with no road access. When active, it handled light, single or twin-engine STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the Pilatus Porter, Britten-Norman Islander, and Cessna 206. Operations were typically run by missionary aviation organizations (like Mission Aviation Fellowship - MAF) and third-level commercial carriers. The airstrip was essential for:
- **Medical Evacuations:** Providing emergency transport to hospitals.
- **Essential Supplies:** Flying in food, medicine, tools, and other goods.
- **Connectivity:** Transporting people, including teachers, health workers, church personnel, and government patrol officers ('kiaps'), connecting the isolated community to regional centers like Telefomin.

There are currently no known official plans or active projects to reopen Bimin Airport. The reopening of such airstrips in Papua New Guinea is managed by the Rural Airstrip Agency of PNG (RAA). A reopening would require a strong initiative from the local community, a full technical survey to assess feasibility, and significant funding from the government or a development partner. Given the high costs, logistical difficulties, and the depopulation of some remote areas, the prospects for Bimin Airport's reopening are considered very low.