Gnarowein, PG 🇵🇬 Closed Airport
PG-0127
-
525 ft
PG-MPL
Loading...
Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: -6.555° N, 146.248° E
Continent: OC
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: GWN GWN
I am unable to provide a summary of recent traveler reviews and experiences for Gnarowein Airport (PG-0127) in Gnarowein, PG, as my search did not yield any information or reviews for an airport with that name or code. It is possible that this airport does not exist, is not publicly documented, or does not have readily available traveler feedback online.
Researching traveler experiences online...
Loading weather data...
| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|
The exact date is not officially recorded. However, based on analysis of historical satellite imagery, the airport was already becoming overgrown by the early 2000s. It likely fell into disuse and became unserviceable sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
The closure was not due to a single event like an accident or military conversion. It is characteristic of many remote airstrips in Papua New Guinea that closed due to a combination of factors, primarily economic. These include: lack of consistent funding for maintenance (which is often the responsibility of the local community), withdrawal of government subsidies for air services to remote areas, and a general decline in the frequency of flights, making the upkeep of the airstrip unsustainable. The runway gradually became overgrown and unusable.
The airport is abandoned and has been reclaimed by nature. High-resolution satellite imagery shows the clear outline of the grass/dirt runway, but it is completely overgrown with tall grass, shrubs, and small trees, rendering it unusable for any aircraft. The site has not been repurposed for agriculture, housing, or any other development; it remains an overgrown field identifiable only from the air as a former airstrip.
Gnarowein Airport was a critical piece of infrastructure for the isolated communities in the mountainous interior of Morobe Province. As a remote 'bush strip', its primary purpose was to provide a lifeline to the outside world. When active, it handled essential services such as medical evacuations (medevac), the delivery of vital supplies like medicine, food, and mail, and transportation for missionaries, government patrols, and local inhabitants. Operations were conducted exclusively by specialized Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft, such as the Pilatus Porter, Britten-Norman Islander, and Cessna 206, which were the only means of accessing the region.
There are currently no known or publicly announced plans to rehabilitate or reopen Gnarowein Airport. While Papua New Guinea's Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA) and other organizations work to restore vital rural airstrips across the country, Gnarowein is not listed as a priority project. Any prospect for reopening would depend entirely on a new, compelling need from the local community and the securing of significant funding from the government or a non-governmental organization.