Dumpu Airport

Cessation of military necessity following the end of World War II. The airfield was a temporary wartime construction built for tactical support during the New Guinea Campaign. As Allied forces advanced and the war concluded, the forward base was no longer strategically required and was officially abandoned.

The site is completely abandoned for aviation purposes. The clear outline of the former single runway is still visible in satellite imagery, but it is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and small trees. The land has largely reverted to nature and is used for local subsistence farming and grazing by the nearby Dumpu community. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure, such as buildings, hangars, or control towers.

Dumpu Airport, historically known as Dumpu Airfield, was a critical Allied forward airbase during World War II. Constructed by the U.S. Army 871st Airborne Engineer Battalion in October 1943, it was strategically vital for the Ramu Valley and Finisterre Range Campaigns. The airfield served as a base for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), notably No. 4 Squadron flying CAC Boomerang and Wirraway aircraft for crucial ground support and tactical reconnaissance, and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), which operated fighters like the P-39 Airacobra from the strip. Operations from Dumpu were instrumental in supporting the Australian Army's ground offensive against Japanese forces, providing essential air cover, attacking enemy positions, and disrupting supply lines through the rugged terrain.

None. There are no known plans, economic drivers, or strategic needs for the reopening of Dumpu Airport. The site has been defunct for over 75 years, lacks any modern infrastructure, and is in a remote location. The aviation needs of the broader region are served by other established and maintained airports in Papua New Guinea.