Nonstop flight route between Biak, Indonesia and Zanderij (near Paramaribo), Suriname:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK), Biak, Indonesia and Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM), Zanderij (near Paramaribo), Suriname would travel a Great Circle distance of 11,604 miles (or 18,675 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 Frans Kaisiepo Airport and Johan Adolf Pengel 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 Frans Kaisiepo Airport and Johan Adolf Pengel 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 Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK):

• From August 1962 to 30 April 1963, Irian Jaya was administered by UNTEA.
• The closest airport to Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) is Kornasoren Airport (FOO), which is located 87 miles (140 kilometers) WNW of BIK.
• In 1990,the Airport's management and operation was handed over to Angkasa Pura I.
• Mokmer Airfield was part of a complex of airfields built on Biak Island by the Japanese, of which Mokmer was the main USAAF facility after the island was taken by the United States after fierce fighting in late May and June 1944.
• Because of Frans Kaisiepo Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Frans Kaisiepo 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.
• The furthest airport from Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical) (SLZ), which is nearly antipodal to Frans Kaisiepo Airport (meaning Frans Kaisiepo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical)), and is located 12,175 miles (19,593 kilometers) away in São Luís, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Frans Kaisiepo Airport", another name for BIK is "Bandara Frans Kaisiepo".
• At first phase, the airport was revamped to accommodate piston airliners such as the Douglas DC-3.
• Borokoe Airfield is due west of Mokmer, along the beach.
• Frans Kaisiepo Airport handled 366 passengers last year.
• Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Japan then attempted to build a second military airfield in Samao county.

Facts about Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM):

• Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The intensive flying of the first two months of the war soon took its toll, however, and by the end of February 1942, the Squadron was forced to report that it had but three B-18A's operational at Zandery and that "....
• The furthest airport from Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) is Betoambari Airport (BUW), which is nearly antipodal to Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (meaning Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Betoambari Airport), and is located 12,282 miles (19,767 kilometers) away in Bau-Bau, Buton, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) is Zorg en Hoop Airport (ORG), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) N of PBM.
• At Zandery, the unit shuttled from Zandery to Atkinson Field, British Guiana and, by January 1942, had eight Curtiss P-40C Warhawks assigned.
• Because of Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport's relatively low elevation of 59 feet, planes can take off or land at Johan Adolf Pengel 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.