Taskul Airport

Economic reasons. Like many remote airstrips in Papua New Guinea, Taskul was probably built to support specific local industries, such as timber/logging operations, or for missionary and government administrative purposes. It was most likely abandoned after these supporting operations ceased, as the local community would not have had the financial resources to maintain the runway and facilities. There is no evidence to suggest it was closed due to a major accident or for military conversion.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Current satellite imagery clearly shows that the former runway has been entirely reclaimed by the surrounding jungle. It is heavily overgrown with mature trees and dense vegetation, making it completely unrecognizable as an airstrip from the ground and unusable for any type of aircraft.

Taskul Airport was a typical remote rural airstrip, serving as a critical lifeline for the community on the northern coast of New Hanover (Lavongai) Island. When active, it connected the isolated population to the provincial capital of Kavieng and the rest of Papua New Guinea. Its operations would have been essential for transporting personnel, mail, medical supplies, and urgent cargo. The airstrip would have been serviced by small, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander, Cessna 206, or de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by third-level airlines (like the former Talair or Douglas Airways) and missionary aviation groups (like Mission Aviation Fellowship).

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Taskul Airport. The airstrip is not included in any current or planned rehabilitation projects by Papua New Guinea's Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA), which oversees the restoration of rural airfields. The significant cost required to clear the mature vegetation, regrade the runway surface, and bring it up to modern safety standards is prohibitive, especially given the small community it would serve. Therefore, the prospect of it ever reopening is considered extremely low to non-existent.