Nonstop flight route between Araxos / Patras, Greece and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Araxos Airport (GPA), Araxos / Patras, Greece and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,740 miles (or 14,066 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 Araxos 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 Araxos 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 Araxos Airport (GPA):

• The closest airport to Araxos Airport (GPA) is Agrinio Airport (AGQ), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) N of GPA.
• Araxos airport is located 45 km west of the city of Patras and 60 km north of Pyrgos.
• The furthest airport from Araxos Airport (GPA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,428 miles (18,392 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Araxos Airport", another name for GPA is "Αεροδρόμιο Αράξου".
• Araxos was established as a military airport in 1936, but was construction of the runway not completed until 1941, when it also became the site of the first radar installation in Greece.
• Information for Araxos Airport
• Because of Araxos Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Araxos 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.
• Araxos Airport (GPA) currently has only 1 runway.
• It is also known as Araxos National Airport.

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.
• There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.