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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU), Cordova, Alaska, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,560 miles (or 8,949 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 Cordova Municipal Airport and Buka Island 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 Cordova Municipal Airport and Buka Island 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 Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU):

• Cordova Municipal Airport has one runway with a 1,800 by 60 ft gravel surface.
• The furthest airport from Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,561 miles (16,996 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU) is Merle K. (Mudhole) Smith Airport (CDV), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) ESE of CKU.
• Because of Cordova Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Cordova Municipal 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 addition to being known as "Cordova Municipal Airport", another name for CKU is "(Cordova Army Airfield)".
• Cordova Municipal Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile east of the central business district of Cordova, a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area of the U.S.
• Cordova is also served by the Merle K.
• Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU) has 2 runways.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Buka Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.