Nonstop flight route between Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Bissau, Guinea-Bissau:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wake Island Airfield (AWK), Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,277 miles (or 16,539 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 Wake Island Airfield and Osvaldo Vieira International 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 Wake Island Airfield and Osvaldo Vieira International 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 Wake Island Airfield (AWK):

• The first intention to build an air base surfaced in 1935, when Pan American World Airways selected Wake Island as an intermediate support base for their routes to the Far East, especially the Philippines.
• The furthest airport from Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is located 11,652 miles (18,752 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• British Overseas Airways Corporation also used Wake Island as a refueling stop.
• The closest airport to Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is Quoin Hill Airfield (UIQ), which is located 169 miles (272 kilometers) SE of AWK.
• Because of Wake Island Airfield's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Wake Island Airfield 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.
• Wake Island Airfield (AWK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB):

• Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Previously known as Bissalanca, during the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence it was used as a base by the Portuguese Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) is Kirakira Airport (IRA), which is nearly antipodal to Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (meaning Osvaldo Vieira International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kirakira Airport), and is located 12,243 miles (19,703 kilometers) away in Kirakira, Makira Island, Solomon Islands.
• The closest airport to Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) is Bubaque Airport (BQE), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) SSW of OXB.
• Airlines that have served the airport in the past include Air Afrique, Air France, Aeroflot, Cubana, Air Senegal International, Air Bissau, TACV, TAAG, TAP Portugal, Halcyonair, and Mauritania Airlines International.
• Osvaldo Vieira International Airport has one runway, heading 03/21, with a length of 10,498 feet.
• Because of Osvaldo Vieira International Airport's relatively low elevation of 129 feet, planes can take off or land at Osvaldo Vieira International 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.