Suria Airport

The primary reasons for closure were economic and logistical. The high cost of maintaining a grass or gravel runway in a remote, high-rainfall tropical environment became unsustainable. This, combined with a likely decline in the economic viability of serving a small, isolated community (due to factors like population movement or changes in local missionary or government activity), led to the cessation of flights. Once regular maintenance stopped, the runway quickly became overgrown and unsafe for aircraft, leading to its de facto closure.

The airport is permanently closed and completely unserviceable. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (-9.032, 147.45) clearly shows the former runway is heavily overgrown with dense grass, shrubs, and other vegetation. While the faint outline of the airstrip is still visible from the air, it has effectively reverted to nature and is unusable for any form of aviation. The cleared area is likely used as a walking path or community space by local villagers.

Suria Airport was a classic bush airstrip, serving as a critical lifeline for the village of Suria and the surrounding communities in the rugged Owen Stanley Range. In a region with virtually no road infrastructure, the airstrip was the primary means of connection to the outside world, particularly Port Moresby. It was essential for missionary work, government patrols (kiaps), medical evacuations, and the transport of essential supplies like medicine, food, and tools. Operations were typically conducted by third-level airlines and charter companies using STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and Cessna 206, which were the workhorses of PNG's rural aviation network.

There are no known or published plans to reopen Suria Airport. The cost to clear, regrade, and certify the runway would be substantial. Furthermore, a sustainable plan for funding its ongoing maintenance would be required. The Papua New Guinea Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA), which is tasked with rehabilitating many of the nation's remote airstrips, does not list Suria (PG-0149) as a current or future project. Given the large number of defunct airstrips in PNG and limited resources, the prospects for Suria's reopening are considered extremely low to non-existent.