Milbuk Airport

The closure was a direct result of the severe deterioration of the peace and order situation in the region. The municipality of Palimbang was the site of the infamous Palimbang Massacre in September 1974, a major military operation during the martial law era. The ensuing instability and violence made air operations unsafe and unsustainable. This was compounded by economic non-viability, as the conflict crippled the local economy, eliminating the demand necessary to support even a small commuter air service.

The airport is defunct and completely abandoned. Satellite imagery confirms the single paved runway is still visible but is in a severe state of disrepair, overgrown with vegetation and broken in several places. The local community uses the strip informally as a road, a place to dry agricultural products like palay (rice) and copra (coconut), and for general recreation. There are no remaining functional airport buildings or infrastructure.

Milbuk Airport served as a crucial community feeder airport for the remote coastal town of Palimbang. In its active years, it provided a vital transportation link for government personnel, local residents, and businesses, connecting the otherwise isolated municipality to regional hubs like Cotabato City. It primarily handled small, propeller-driven aircraft suitable for short, unimproved runways (STOL aircraft), facilitating the movement of people and essential goods at a time when land travel was significantly more difficult and time-consuming. The airstrip was a symbol of government presence and a link to the outside world before the conflict led to its abandonment.

There are no known official plans, active proposals, or funding allocated for the rehabilitation and reopening of Milbuk Airport. The national and provincial governments' focus for air travel in the region is on larger, existing airports such as General Santos International Airport. The economic case for rebuilding and operating a small airstrip in Palimbang is currently considered weak, and significant infrastructure investment would be required.