Barit Island Airstrip

While no single official reason is cited, the closure is almost certainly due to economic factors. Small, private airstrips like this were typically built to support a specific commercial enterprise (such as logging, large-scale agriculture, or a private resort) or for the personal use of a wealthy individual or family. The closure was likely a result of:
1. The cessation of the business activity it was built to support.
2. The high cost of maintenance for a low-traffic, unpaved runway, especially one located on a river island susceptible to flooding and erosion.
3. The original owner no longer having a need for it or selling the property.

The site is completely abandoned and non-functional as an airstrip. Satellite imagery clearly shows that the former runway is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and other vegetation, making it indistinguishable from the surrounding fields from ground level. The faint outline of the straight, cleared path is still visible from above, but it is entirely unusable for any aviation activity. The land on Barit Island appears to be used for small-scale agriculture or is otherwise undeveloped.

The airstrip has no major historical significance in the context of national or military aviation. Its importance was purely local and private. When active, it would have served as a private landing strip for light general aviation aircraft.

- **Operations:** It handled small, propeller-driven aircraft, likely single-engine (e.g., Cessna 172/206) or light twin-engine models capable of operating from a short, unpaved surface.
- **Purpose:** Operations would have been for transporting personnel, light cargo, or for private travel to and from the remote location. It was not a public airport and did not handle commercial passenger flights.
- **Infrastructure:** The facility was minimal, consisting of a grass or dirt runway approximately 950-1000 meters (3,100-3,300 feet) in length, with no evidence of a terminal, hangars, or significant ground support infrastructure.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening the Barit Island Airstrip. It is considered permanently closed and abandoned. Regional aviation development in the province of Cagayan is focused on much larger, more strategically important facilities, such as the Cagayan North International Airport (in Lal-lo) and the improvement of existing airports. The Barit Island strip's small size, derelict condition, lack of infrastructure, and vulnerable location within the Cagayan River delta make it an economically and logistically unviable candidate for any future redevelopment.