Kisengam Airport

The closure was not due to a single event but rather a combination of factors common to many remote airstrips in Papua New Guinea. These include economic non-viability, the high cost of maintenance in a tropical environment, lack of government or private funding for upkeep, and the gradual deterioration of the unpaved runway surface until it became unsafe and unusable for aircraft operations.

The airport is permanently closed and abandoned. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (-6.362, 146.71) shows the former runway is completely overgrown with dense vegetation and is no longer distinguishable as a functional airstrip. The land has been reclaimed by the surrounding jungle and may be used for small-scale local gardening or other community purposes. It is completely unusable for any form of aviation activity.

Kisengam Airport was a typical remote 'bush strip' that was vital to the local community in the mountainous Morobe Province. When active, it served as a critical lifeline, connecting the isolated village of Kisengam to regional centers like Lae. Operations primarily involved light, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft such as the Pilatus Porter, Britten-Norman Islander, and various Cessna models operated by third-level airlines (like Talair) and missionary groups (like Mission Aviation Fellowship - MAF). The airstrip facilitated essential services including medical evacuations (MEDEVAC), delivery of food, medicine, and mail, transport for missionaries and government patrol officers ('Kiaps'), and provided an outlet for local agricultural products like coffee.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Kisengam Airport. While there are programs in Papua New Guinea to rehabilitate rural airstrips (e.g., through the Rural Airstrip Agency - RAA), the focus is typically on airstrips serving larger populations or those with greater strategic or economic potential. Given the remote location, the small size of the community served, and the significant cost required to clear, rebuild, and certify the airstrip, the reopening of Kisengam is considered highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.