Reply to @david: Update, apparently a Caterpillar worked digging up the runway for about a week in the early 90s, so that fixed-wing aircraft other than helicopters could land. After that, the airfield fell into disuse, and weeds grew unchecked. A local states that the Malawi government at the time transported weapons and food items via the airport at night. This airfield probably got caught up in the Mozambican Civil War which went on from 1976 until 1992.
Reply to @david: Historical satellite imagery available on Google earth actually reveal that there use be two runways here, one around 1000m in length facing SE/NW and one also 1000m facing NE/SW. Based on the colorization, they appeared to either have a graveled or dirt surface. Whatever airport use to exist here seems to have disappeared from urban encroachment by 2006.
I removed it from openstreetmap too, since that mention based upon the authority of ourairports. The dangers of open data sources depending one on the other!
Unless that straight stretch of road doubles as a landing strip, I suspect that the source for this airport (Great Circle Mapper) just used the lat/lon of the village. Marking as closed until we have more information.
Dedza District, Malawi
Wikipedia
Latest comments about airports in Dedza District, Malawi
re: Don't see an airport here
🔗 Thu, 20 Nov 2025
— @Verifly at Dedza Airport, Malawi
Reply to @david: Update, apparently a Caterpillar worked digging up the runway for about a week in the early 90s, so that fixed-wing aircraft other than helicopters could land. After that, the airfield fell into disuse, and weeds grew unchecked. A local states that the Malawi government at the time transported weapons and food items via the airport at night. This airfield probably got caught up in the Mozambican Civil War which went on from 1976 until 1992.
re: Don't see an airport here
🔗 Thu, 20 Nov 2025
— @Verifly at Dedza Airport, Malawi
Reply to @david: Historical satellite imagery available on Google earth actually reveal that there use be two runways here, one around 1000m in length facing SE/NW and one also 1000m facing NE/SW. Based on the colorization, they appeared to either have a graveled or dirt surface. Whatever airport use to exist here seems to have disappeared from urban encroachment by 2006.
(no subject)
🔗 Sun, 14 Feb 2016
— @Jan_Olieslagers at Dedza Airport, Malawi
I removed it from openstreetmap too, since that mention based upon the authority of ourairports. The dangers of open data sources depending one on the other!
Don't see an airport here
🔗 Thu, 11 Feb 2016
— @david at Dedza Airport, Malawi
Unless that straight stretch of road doubles as a landing strip, I suspect that the source for this airport (Great Circle Mapper) just used the lat/lon of the village. Marking as closed until we have more information.
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