The original grass airfield was occupied and expanded by the
Imperial Japanese in spring 1942. It then became the target of Allied air bombing from mid-1943 to mid-1944. After World War II the airport became one of Bougainville's main airports. The airport was partially destroyed during the
Bougainville Crisis of the 1990s and had been closed since then. For many years the airfield was disused and overgrown with bush. In February 2012 the owners announced their intention to reopen the airport. In a ceremony held on December 12, 2014 the airport was officially reopened by the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea,
Peter O'Neill, and by the president of the
Autonomous Region of Bougainville,
John Momis. For the time being the airport can only accommodate aircraft the size of
Bombardier Dash 8 or smaller. ==Airlines and destinations==