Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Grand Island, Nebraska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from BUA to GRI:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- BUA Airport Information
- GRI Airport Information
- Facts about BUA
- Facts about GRI
- Map of Nearest Airports to BUA
- List of Nearest Airports to BUA
- Map of Furthest Airports from BUA
- List of Furthest Airports from BUA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRI
- List of Nearest Airports to GRI
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRI
- List of Furthest Airports from GRI
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), Grand Island, Nebraska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,350 miles (or 11,829 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 Central Nebraska Regional 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 Central Nebraska Regional Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BUA / AYBK |
Airport Name: | Buka Island Airport |
Location: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 5°25'19"S by 154°40'21"E |
Area Served: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
Operator/Owner: | Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 11 feet (3 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BUA |
More Information: | BUA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRI / KGRI |
Airport Name: | Central Nebraska Regional Airport |
Location: | Grand Island, Nebraska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°58'3"N by 98°18'34"W |
Area Served: | Grand Island, Nebraska |
Operator/Owner: | Hall County Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1847 feet (563 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from GRI |
More Information: | GRI Maps & Info |
Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):
- 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.
- 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.
- In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
- It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
- The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of 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.
- Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
- On 26 July, an Imperial Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield.
Facts about Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI):
- Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) has 2 runways.
- The facility was formerly Grand Island Army Airfield.
- The closest airport to Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) is Hastings Municipal Airport (HSI), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) SSW of GRI.
- The furthest airport from Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,617 miles (17,087 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.