Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Kingston, Jamaica:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), Kingston, Jamaica would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,862 miles (or 14,262 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 Norman Manley 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 Buka Island Airport and Norman Manley 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 Buka Island Airport (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.
• 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.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• 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.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Norman Manley International Airport (KIN):

• Phase 1A commenced planning in 2004 and was completed in 2007, at an estimated cost of $80M.
• Because of Norman Manley International Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Norman Manley 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.
• The furthest airport from Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is located 11,894 miles (19,141 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• The significant growth in the aviation sector led to the establishment of the Civil Aviation Department in 1947.
• Norman Manley International Airport handled 1,714,710 passengers last year.
• Jamaica has always had a vibrant civil aviation industry with the first flight reported in the island on 21 December 1911.
• Phase 2, which is the final phase of the project, is to commence in 2013 and end in 2022.
• The closest airport to Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) is Tinson Pen Aerodrome (KTP), which is located only 4 miles (7 kilometers) NNW of KIN.
• Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) currently has only 1 runway.