Manane Airport

Presumed abandonment due to logistical and economic factors. Bush airstrips like Manane are often built to serve specific safari lodges, conservation projects, or anti-poaching units. The closure was likely due to one or more of the following: the closure of the camp it served, the construction of a newer or better-located airstrip nearby, or a shift in patrol areas for conservation efforts, rendering it obsolete. There is no evidence of military conversion or a specific accident leading to its closure.

The site is an abandoned and unmaintained airstrip. Satellite imagery clearly shows the outline of a dirt or gravel runway in a clearing. However, it is overgrown with vegetation and is not in a usable condition. The area is part of the protected Nyerere National Park and is not used for any other discernible purpose. It is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding bush.

Manane Airport was a private, unpaved bush airstrip located within what is now the Nyerere National Park (formerly the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve). Its significance was purely logistical. When active, it would have handled light, STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capable aircraft, such as the Cessna 206, Cessna Caravan, and Britten-Norman Islander. These aircraft are the workhorses of the East African safari industry. Operations would have consisted of flying tourists in and out of remote safari camps, transporting supplies, and potentially supporting anti-poaching and wildlife conservation patrols in the vast wilderness area.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Manane Airport. Reopening would require a significant private or government investment to clear and regrade the runway, ensure it meets safety standards set by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), and gain approval from the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Given the existence of other operational airstrips within the park serving current tourist lodges, the reopening of this specific strip is highly unlikely unless a new major tourist or conservation facility is developed in its immediate vicinity.