Nonstop flight route between Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia and Falkland Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Atuona Airport (AUQ), Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia and RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN), Falkland Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,287 miles (or 8,508 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 Atuona Airport and RAF Mount Pleasant, 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 Atuona Airport and RAF Mount Pleasant. 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 Atuona Airport (AUQ):

• The closest airport to Atuona Airport (AUQ) is Fangatau Airport (FGU), which is located 437 miles (703 kilometers) SSW of AUQ.
• Atuona Airport (AUQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Atuona Airport (AUQ) is Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), which is nearly antipodal to Atuona Airport (meaning Atuona Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
• In addition to being known as "Atuona Airport", another name for AUQ is "Hiva Oa Airport".

Facts about RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN):

• The furthest airport from RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) is Mohe Gulian Airport (OHE), which is nearly antipodal to RAF Mount Pleasant (meaning RAF Mount Pleasant is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mohe Gulian Airport), and is located 12,353 miles (19,879 kilometers) away in Mohe, Heilongjiang, China.
• There is also a Joint Communications Unit providing the electronic warfare and command and control systems for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.
• A flight of Westland Sea King helicopters for support and search and rescue has been located at Mount Pleasant since November 2007.
• The closest airport to RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) ENE of MPN.
• The British government felt that Stanley airfield was not the best option for a large, permanent station and decided to construct a new RAF station and make it the centrepiece of considerably strengthened air defences for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
• On 10 November 2011, it was announced that Prince William would be serving as a Sea King pilot on the station for six weeks during February and March 2012.