Suria Airport

Suria, PG 🇵🇬 Closed Airport

ICAO

PG-0149

IATA

-

Elevation

2600 ft

Region

PG-CPM

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: -9.032° N, 147.45° E

Continent: OC

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: SUZ SUZ SUR

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

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Airport Information

Technical Information

For Aviation Geeks

Designation Length Width Surface Status
09/27 1400 ft - ft Unknown Closed

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 26, 2025
Closure Date

The exact date of closure is not officially documented. Like many remote airstrips in Papua New Guinea, Suria Airport likely fell into disuse and became unserviceable gradually between the late 1990s and early 2000s. The closure was a result of abandonment and lack of maintenance rather than a single, formal event.

Reason for Closure

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.

Current Status

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.

Historical Significance

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.

Reopening Prospects

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.

Nearby Airports

Manumu Airport
UUU • UUU
Manumu, PG
Small Airport
~14 km away
Milei Airstrip
AYEI
Milei, PG
Small Airport
~18 km away
Haelogo Airport
HEO • HEO
Haelogo, PG
Small Airport
~20 km away
Bodinumu Airport
BNM • AYBD
Bodinumu, PG
Small Airport
~25 km away
Manari Airport
MRM • AYMA
Manari, PG
Small Airport
~26 km away
Efogi Airport
EFG • AYEF
Efogi, PG
Small Airport
~27 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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