Nonstop flight route between Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM), Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,963 miles (or 11,206 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport and Buka Island Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport and Buka Island Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM):

• Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States.
• The furthest airport from Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,319 miles (18,217 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Because of Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport's high elevation of 4,200 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ALM. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ALM a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is Holloman Air Force Base Alamogordo Army Airfield (HMN), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) W of ALM.
• Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) has 2 runways.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Buka Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.