Robinson River Airport

Robinson River, PG 🇵🇬 Closed Airport

ICAO

PG-0148

IATA

-

Elevation

60 ft

Region

PG-CPM

Local Time

Loading...

Loading...

Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: -10.171° N, 148.823° E

Continent: OC

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: RNR RNR RNR

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

Current Weather Conditions

Loading weather data...

Loading weather data...


Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 26, 2025
Closure Date

The exact closure date is not officially recorded. However, based on analysis of historical satellite imagery showing significant overgrowth and the general trend of rural airstrip consolidation in Papua New Guinea, it is estimated to have been abandoned sometime between the late 1980s and early 2000s.

Reason for Closure

The specific reason for closure is not documented. The most probable cause is economic non-viability, a common fate for many small, remote airstrips in PNG. This likely stemmed from one or more of the following: 1) The cessation of the specific project it was built to serve, such as a mining exploration camp, logging operation, or missionary post. 2) The high and unsustainable cost of runway maintenance in a tropical, high-rainfall environment. 3) The eventual construction of a road link to the area, which, even if rudimentary, would have become a more cost-effective method for transporting goods and supplies, rendering the airstrip obsolete.

Current Status

The airport is definitively closed and abandoned. Current satellite imagery clearly shows the remnant of a single runway, which is now completely overgrown with dense grass, shrubs, and small trees. The airstrip is unusable for any form of aviation. The cleared land is still visible as a distinct scar in the jungle, and it is likely used by the nearby local village as a footpath or for small-scale agriculture.

Historical Significance

Robinson River Airport was a remote, unpaved bush airstrip, critical for accessing the rugged interior of the Owen Stanley Range. It never held major commercial significance and did not have an IATA code. Its purpose was purely functional: to serve as a lifeline for a small, isolated community or a specific industrial or missionary endeavor. Operations would have been exclusively conducted by STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the Pilatus Porter, Britten-Norman Islander, and Cessna 206, which are the workhorses of PNG's challenging aviation environment. These aircraft would have transported essential supplies, personnel, mail, and medical evacuations, connecting the location to larger provincial towns.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Robinson River Airport. The cost to clear, regrade, and potentially rebuild the runway to modern safety standards would be substantial. Without a significant new economic driver in the immediate vicinity, such as a major mining or agricultural project, there is no financial or logistical justification for its revival. The focus of aviation development in Papua New Guinea is on maintaining and upgrading its network of existing strategic regional and provincial airports.

Nearby Airports

Abau Airport
PG-0156
Abau, PG
Closed Airport
~10 km away
Cape Rodney Airport
CPN • PG-0005
Cape Rodney, PG
Small Airport
~49 km away
Amazon Bay Airport
AZB • AZB
NonePG
Small Airport
~58 km away
Boure Airstrip
PG-0028
Boure, PG
Small Airport
~62 km away
Safia Airport
SFU • AYSF
Safia, PG
Small Airport
~67 km away
Kupiano Airport
KUP • KUP
Kupiano, PG
Small Airport
~67 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

User Comments

No comments for this airport yet.

Leave a comment