Nonstop flight route between Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and Kieta, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN), Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and Kieta/Aropa Airport (KIE), Kieta, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,434 miles (or 15,183 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 Rafael Hernández Airport and Kieta/Aropa 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 Rafael Hernández Airport and Kieta/Aropa 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 Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN):

• Due to the success of service, Spirit Airlines has increased their frequency to daily to/from Ft.
• The capacity of the airport and its role as the main gateway to Porta del Sol has led local officials to take the position that the airport is extremely undeserved in a region which accounts for one third of Puerto Rico's total population, with the mayor of the Aguadilla asking for the airport to be transferred to the city on several occasions.
• The furthest airport from Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Rafael Hernández Airport (meaning Rafael Hernández Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,204 miles (19,641 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Rafael Hernández Airport's relatively low elevation of 237 feet, planes can take off or land at Rafael Hernández 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.
• Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2000, North American Airlines reopened passenger service with a non-stop flight to New York JFK three times a week.
• There are official plans to renovate the runway en route to house FedEx expansion.
• In late January 2011, the airport hosted sea level tests for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
• The closest airport to Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) is Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) S of BQN.
• For year 2007 the airport transported 400,473 passengers, nearly a 500% increase in five years.
• On February 20, 2012, it was announced by both the mayor of Aguadilla and the U.S.
• In the summer of 2007 Spirit Airlines announced plans to begin service from the airport to their hub in Ft.
• In the mid and late 1970s, the Ahrens Aircraft Corporation attempted to set up operations at former USAF industrial facilities at the airport in order to manufacture the Ahrens AR 404 regional airliner, a short takeoff and landing turboprop aircraft, with financial incentives promised by the Puerto Rican government for development.

Facts about Kieta/Aropa Airport (KIE):

• The furthest airport from Kieta/Aropa Airport (KIE) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,844 miles (19,061 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Because of Kieta/Aropa Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Kieta/Aropa 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 airport was partially destroyed during the Bougainville Crisis of the 1990s and has been closed since then.
• In addition to being known as "Kieta/Aropa Airport", another name for KIE is "AYIQ".
• The closest airport to Kieta/Aropa Airport (KIE) is Balalae Airport (BAS), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) SSE of KIE.
• Kieta/Aropa Airport (KIE) currently has only 1 runway.