Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,450 miles (or 11,989 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 Ponca City 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 Ponca City Regional 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):

• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC):

• In November 1942, Royal Air Force training ended at Miami and the airfield became a primary pilot training airfield assigned to AAF Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Training Center.
• Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Ponca City Regional Airport covers 500 acres at an elevation of 1,008 feet.
• The furthest airport from Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,773 miles (17,338 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Earl Henry Airport (BWL), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WNW of PNC.
• Ponca City Regional Airport is a city-owned airport two miles northwest of Ponca City, in Kay County, Oklahoma.Enrique's is a well known Mexican restaurant in the terminal.
• Scheduled passenger flights on Great Lakes Airlines to Denver and Dodge City ended in August, 2006.