Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Whitecourt Airport (YZU), Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,503 miles (or 10,466 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 Whitecourt 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 Whitecourt 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):

• 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 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.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
• 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 origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Whitecourt Airport (YZU):

• The closest airport to Whitecourt Airport (YZU) is Edson Airport (YET), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) SW of YZU.
• The furthest airport from Whitecourt Airport (YZU) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,239 miles (16,478 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Whitecourt Airport, is located 3.5 nautical miles west of Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada.
• The airport is open 24 hours a day with the Nav Canada Flight Services office open from 6 AM to 10 PM, 7 days a week.
• On site there is an Alberta Sustainable Resource Development fire suppression tanker base located at the south east side of the airport at the intersection of taxiway B and A.
• Whitecourt Airport (YZU) currently has only 1 runway.