Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Cape Yakataga, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Yakataga Airport (CYT), Cape Yakataga, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,643 miles (or 9,082 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 Buka Island Airport and Yakataga 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 Buka Island Airport and Yakataga 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 Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• 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.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• 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 origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.

Facts about Yakataga Airport (CYT):

• Yakataga Airport (CYT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Scheduled passenger service to Yakutat Airport ended in 2012, when the United States Department of Transportation suspended Essential Air Service subsidies.
• The furthest airport from Yakataga Airport (CYT) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,555 miles (16,987 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Yakataga Airport (CYT) is Icy Bay Airport (ICY), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) ESE of CYT.
• Because of Yakataga Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Yakataga 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.