Lanuza (Carmen) Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons. The airport was most likely a private airstrip built to serve the once-booming logging industry in Surigao del Sur. As logging operations scaled down and eventually ceased due to government regulations and resource depletion, the airstrip lost its primary purpose and economic viability. Furthermore, the development and continued operation of the larger, government-owned Tandag Airport (TDG), located approximately 50 kilometers to the south, made this small airstrip redundant for any potential general aviation or commercial passenger traffic.

The airport is permanently closed and non-operational for aviation. The paved runway, estimated to be around 1,000-1,200 meters long, is still clearly visible on satellite imagery but is in a state of disrepair. The site has been repurposed by the local community. The runway is now used as a local road, a communal area for drying palay (unhusked rice) and other crops, a recreational space for walking and jogging, and an informal driving practice area. There are no remaining airport structures like a terminal, tower, or hangars. The surrounding land is now a mix of agricultural and residential use.

The airport's significance is local and tied to the economic history of the Municipality of Carmen. It was not a commercial airport for public use but rather a private/corporate airfield. Its primary role was to provide air transport for executives, personnel, and high-value, low-volume cargo for a major logging company operating in the area during the mid-to-late 20th century. It would have accommodated light general aviation aircraft, such as Cessnas, Pipers, or other similar propeller-driven planes. The airport was a vital piece of infrastructure for the logging industry before the region's road network was fully developed, connecting the remote operations to major cities.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Lanuza (Carmen) Airport. The national aviation authority (CAAP) and the local government have not announced any initiatives for its rehabilitation. Given the lack of commercial demand, the significant cost of restoring the runway and building modern facilities, and the proximity of the fully operational Tandag Airport which serves the province, reopening is considered economically unfeasible and strategically unnecessary.