Inus Airport

The airport was abandoned due to the Bougainville Civil War. The conflict led to a complete breakdown of civil administration, security, and infrastructure on the island. Airstrips like Inus became unusable due to the risk of attack, the destruction of support facilities, and the blockade imposed by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, which halted all civilian air and sea transport to the region.

The airport is completely abandoned and defunct. Satellite imagery shows the runway's outline is still clearly visible but is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and small trees. There are no remaining airport buildings or infrastructure. The land appears to have reverted to nature and is not used for any formal purpose, though it may be used informally by the local community.

Inus Airport was a small, regional airstrip typical of those built during Papua New Guinea's colonial and post-colonial periods. Its primary role was to connect the remote coastal communities of the Inus area with larger centers like Arawa and Kieta. It served as a vital link for government patrols, missionary work, medical evacuations, and the transport of light cargo and produce (such as copra and cocoa from local plantations). The airport handled small Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander and Cessna models, which were the backbone of aviation in PNG's rugged terrain. It was an essential piece of infrastructure before the development of reliable road networks.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Inus Airport. Post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Bougainville have focused on rehabilitating the two major airports: Buka Airport (AYBK) in the north and Aropa International Airport (AYAP) near Kieta, which reopened in 2014. With these two larger airports now serving the region and improvements to the coastal road network, small, remote airstrips like Inus are considered redundant and are not an economic or strategic priority for the Autonomous Bougainville Government.