Nonstop flight route between Gaborone, Botswana and Hilo, Hawaii, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE), Gaborone, Botswana and Hilo International Airport (ITO), Hilo, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 12,097 miles (or 19,468 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 Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and Hilo 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 Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and Hilo International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

The distance between GBE and ITO makes them almost exactly antipodal (the exact opposite side of the world) to each other. Nonstop flights between Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and Hilo International Airport would be very impractical for the airlines, because only a lightly loaded Boeing 777-200LR would be able to make the trip. Since airlines need to be able to take as many people and cargo as possible in order to make a profit, the odds of ever seeing a nonstop flight between GBE and ITO are slim to none. However, you'll still be able to get from Gaborone, Botswana and Hilo, Hawaii, United States by taking some connecting flights!

Did you know that one full circling of the Earth (measuring from the equator) is about 24,901.5 miles (or 40,075 kilometers), which means if you were 12,450 miles from any given point on the planet, the distance back to your starting point would be about the same -- in any direction! The same can be said for a nonstop flight between GBE and ITO!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE):

• Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is nearly antipodal to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (meaning Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hana Airport), and is located 12,149 miles (19,552 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• Airport before expansion
• The closest airport to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) is Lobatse Airport (LOQ), which is located 46 miles (74 kilometers) SSW of GBE.
• On October 11, 1999, an Air Botswana pilot, Captain Chris Phatswe, commandeered a parked Aérospatiale ATR 42 aircraft A2-ABB without authorization in the early morning and took off.

Facts about Hilo International Airport (ITO):

• Efforts finally had some success on April 28, 2006, when ATA Airlines re-established daily non-stop service between Hilo and Oakland International Airport in California aboard its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
• The furthest airport from Hilo International Airport (ITO) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Hilo International Airport (meaning Hilo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,336 miles (19,854 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.
• At the same time, the state's other major airports added overseas service.
• Because of Hilo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 38 feet, planes can take off or land at Hilo 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.
• In 1973, for example, the total passenger count at Hilo International Airport was 1,357,818.
• Hilo International Airport handled 1,279,342 passengers last year.
• The passenger terminal complex, including commuter facilities, is at the southern edge of Hilo International Airport and is served by an access roadway from Hawaii Belt Road at Kekūanaōʻa Avenue.
• Hilo International Airport has two runways.
• Work began on an interim overseas terminal at General Lyman Field in November 1968.
• The commuter terminal is located in a small, stand alone building approximately 0.25 miles to the west of the main passenger terminal.
• Hilo International Airport (ITO) has 2 runways.
• During the late 1950s Territorial leaders anticipated a boom in tourism, prompting plans for a second airport capable of accommodating large jet aircraft.
• The closest airport to Hilo International Airport (ITO) is Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) W of ITO.