Kiwai Airport

The closure was due to economic and logistical reasons. A lack of consistent funding for maintenance resulted in the runway becoming completely overgrown with grass, shrubs, and other vegetation. This deterioration rendered the airstrip unsafe and unusable for aircraft operations, a common issue for many remote, government-supported airstrips in Papua New Guinea that fell into disrepair.

The airport is abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery confirms that the runway is completely reclaimed by nature, heavily overgrown with grass and shrubs, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain except for its linear shape. The land has reverted to general community use, and there are no functional airport buildings or infrastructure remaining on the site.

When active, Kiwai Airport, also known locally as Iasa Airstrip, was a critical transportation link for the isolated communities on Kiwai Island, located in the Fly River delta. It provided a vital connection to the provincial capital, Daru. The airstrip was primarily used for essential services, including medical evacuations (medevacs), the transport of government officers, teachers, and health workers, and the delivery of mail, medicine, food supplies, and general cargo. Operations were typically handled by missionary aviation groups and third-level commercial airlines using STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft like the Britten-Norman Islander and Cessna 206, which are suited for short, unpaved runways.

There are no concrete or funded plans to reopen Kiwai Airport at present. While the restoration of rural airstrips is a recurring topic in development plans for the Western Province and is often discussed by local political leaders, Kiwai has not been publicly prioritized for rehabilitation. A 2012 report by the PNG Sustainable Development Program noted that the airstrip would require 'major works' to become operational again. Any prospect of reopening is entirely dependent on future government funding, political will, and its inclusion in a broader rural infrastructure development program.