Abau Airport

The closure was a result of economic and infrastructural changes. The primary reasons include:
1. **Economic Non-Viability:** The decline and eventual collapse of major third-level airlines (like Talair) in PNG during the early 1990s drastically reduced or eliminated services to many remote, low-traffic airstrips like Abau.
2. **Development of Road Transport:** The construction and improvement of the Magi Highway provided a reliable and more cost-effective road link from the Abau District to the capital, Port Moresby, reducing the dependency on air travel for passengers and cargo.
3. **High Maintenance Costs:** As a coastal, unpaved airstrip, it required constant, costly maintenance to combat vegetation growth and erosion. Without sufficient revenue from flights, the airstrip became unsustainable and was left to deteriorate.

The airport is completely abandoned and has been reclaimed by nature. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (-10.1956, 148.7389) shows the faint outline of a runway, but it is entirely covered by dense trees and vegetation. The site is unusable for any aviation purposes and there are no remaining airport facilities or infrastructure. It is currently undeveloped, derelict land.

Abau Airport has significant historical importance dating back to World War II.
- **WWII Operations:** It was originally built as a forward military airfield by the U.S. Army's 871st Airborne Engineer Battalion around November 1942 during the New Guinea Campaign. Known as Abau Airfield, it was strategically important for Allied air operations. It hosted Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 75 Squadron flying P-40 Kittyhawks and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) units, such as the 36th Fighter Squadron flying P-39 Airacobras.
- **Post-War Civilian Use:** After the war, the airfield was converted for civilian use. It became a vital link for the remote Abau community, connecting it to larger centers. It was used by missionary aviation services (like MAF) and third-level commercial airlines to transport people, mail, medical supplies, and essential goods using STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft.

There are no known official plans or active prospects for reopening Abau Airport. The focus for air services within the Abau District is on the existing airport at Kupiano (IATA: KUP, ICAO: AYKU), which serves as the district's administrative headquarters. Given the substantial investment that would be required to clear, resurface, and certify the old Abau airstrip, coupled with the established road network, its reopening is considered highly unlikely.