Nonstop flight route between Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and Yaren, Nauru:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA), Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and Nauru International Airport (INU), Yaren, Nauru would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,200 miles (or 5,150 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō and Nauru 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō and Nauru 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA):

• The designation of the wing changed on 1 October 1991 to the 18th Wing with the implementation of the Objective Wing concept.
• The surrender of Japanese forces in the Ryukyu Islands came on 7 September.
• The furthest airport from Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Paulo Abdala Airport (FBE), which is nearly antipodal to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (meaning Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Paulo Abdala Airport), and is located 12,381 miles (19,926 kilometers) away in Francisco Beltrao, Paraná, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Naha Airport (OKA), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SW of DNA.
• Beginning in 1961, the 18th was sending its tactical squadrons frequently to South Vietnam and Thailand, initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance forces, and beginning in 1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat missions in the Vietnam War.
• Kadena Air Base's history dates back to just before the 1 April 1945, Battle of Okinawa, when a local construction firm completed a small airfield named Yara Hikojo near the island's village of Kadena.
• In addition to being known as "Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō", another name for DNA is "Kadena AFB".
• The 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Kadena from Osan-ni AB, South Korea on 1 November 1954, flying three squadrons of North American F-86 Sabres.

Facts about Nauru International Airport (INU):

• The airstrip was built during the Japanese occupation of Nauru using forced labour and became operational in January 1943.
• The furthest airport from Nauru International Airport (INU) is Greenville/Sinoe Airport (SNI), which is nearly antipodal to Nauru International Airport (meaning Nauru International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Greenville/Sinoe Airport), and is located 12,021 miles (19,346 kilometers) away in Greenville, Liberia.
• Nauru International Airport (INU) currently has only 1 runway.
• Nauru International Airport serves as the main hub of the national carrier, Our Airline, formerly known as Air Nauru.
• The closest airport to Nauru International Airport (INU) is Ebon Airport (EBO), which is located 377 miles (607 kilometers) NNE of INU.
• Because of Nauru International Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Nauru 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 airport is located in the Yaren district, just north of many of the government buildings, including the Parliament House, police station, and the secondary school.
• In addition to being known as "Nauru International Airport", another name for INU is "Reikoariata Republik Naoero".
• Also represented at the airport are the Republic of Nauru Civil Aviation Authority, tasked with airport security and operational management.