Nasipit Airfield

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic and infrastructural factors. The airfield was a private airstrip principally owned and operated by the Nasipit Lumber Company (NALCO). Its closure coincided with the decline of NALCO's operations. Concurrently, the nearby Bancasi Airport (now Butuan National Airport, RPNB/BXU) in Butuan City was developed and upgraded with a longer, paved runway and superior facilities, becoming the sole commercial aviation hub for the province of Agusan del Norte. This made the small, unpaved Nasipit Airfield redundant and economically unviable for any remaining general aviation or potential commercial use.

The site of the former Nasipit Airfield is no longer used for aviation. The land has been completely redeveloped. A large portion of the former runway and its surrounding area has been converted into a residential housing project. Satellite imagery clearly shows houses, streets, and other community structures built directly on top of the old runway's footprint, although the faint, straight outline of the airstrip is still discernible from the air. The site is now a populated residential zone.

Nasipit Airfield's significance is tied to the industrial history of the region rather than commercial aviation. It served as a vital private corporate airstrip for the Nasipit Lumber Company (NALCO), which was one of the largest logging and wood-processing firms in the Philippines during its peak. The airfield handled light aircraft, such as Cessnas and other propeller-driven planes. Its primary operations involved transporting company executives, vital personnel, urgent spare parts, and important documents to and from major cities like Manila and Cebu. It was a crucial logistical asset for the company in an era before the local road infrastructure was fully developed, providing a rapid connection to the outside world for the massive industrial complex.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Nasipit Airfield. Reopening is considered impossible for several reasons:
1. **Land Use:** The land has been permanently repurposed for residential use with hundreds of homes and permanent infrastructure built on it.
2. **Lack of Need:** The region is adequately served by the much larger and better-equipped Butuan National Airport (BXU), which is only about 25-30 kilometers away and capable of handling jet aircraft like the Airbus A320.
3. **Insurmountable Cost:** The financial, legal, and social costs of acquiring the land, relocating thousands of residents, and demolishing the existing community to rebuild an airfield would be prohibitive and without any logical justification.