Aroa Airport

The closure was a result of post-war military demobilization and subsequent economic non-viability. The primary reasons include: 1) Military Abandonment: The airfield was built for a specific strategic purpose during WWII and was no longer needed once the conflict ended. 2) Economic Factors: The high cost of maintenance in a tropical environment, combined with a lack of sufficient demand from the local population, made civilian operations unsustainable. 3) Alternative Infrastructure: The development of the Hiritano Highway, which runs nearby, provided a more reliable and cheaper, albeit slower, mode of transport to and from Port Moresby, reducing the necessity for a local airstrip.

The site of the former Aroa Airport has been completely reclaimed for agricultural use. It is now part of the Aroa rubber plantation. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows the faint, ghostly outline of the former runway, but it is heavily overgrown with mature trees and dense vegetation. There are no remaining airport facilities such as hangars, terminals, or control towers. The land is privately owned and not accessible or usable as an airfield.

Aroa Airport, historically known as Aroa Airfield, was a significant Allied military installation during the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Constructed by the U.S. Army 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion between May and June 1943, it featured a single runway approximately 5,000 feet long. It served as a forward operating base for U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) units, primarily flying fighter and transport aircraft. Its location west of Port Moresby was strategic for staging attacks and supporting ground troops against Japanese forces in the region. After the war, its military role ceased, and it did not transition into a major civilian airport.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Aroa Airport. The land is now established agricultural plantation land, which would present significant legal and financial hurdles for acquisition. Furthermore, Papua New Guinea's Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA) focuses on restoring airstrips in far more isolated communities that lack road access. Given Aroa's relative proximity to the national road network and Port Moresby, it is not considered a priority for restoration. Reopening is considered highly unlikely.