 The airport in Lae was operating at the same time as Nadzab but business was significantly lost when the new airport complex became fully operational in 1977.Fierce political squabbling over the pros and cons of Lae and Nadzab continued until 1982, when, in an unsolved mystery, the Lae airport terminal was burned down.Lae airfield continued to be used by Air Niugini and other third-level airlines until 1987.