Nonstop flight route between Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP), Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,733 miles (or 17,273 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 Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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 Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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 Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP):

• Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport handled 323,940 passengers last year.
• Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport", another name for IMP is "Aeroporto de Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira".
• At the end of World War II, the first airport with a 1,200m x 30m earth runway was operational but it was subject to flooding during the rainy season.
• The closest airport to Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) is João Correa da Rocha Airport (MAB), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) W of IMP.
• The furthest airport from Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) is Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR), which is nearly antipodal to Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (meaning Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Roman Tmetuchl International Airport), and is located 12,250 miles (19,714 kilometers) away in Koror, Palau.
• Because of Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport's relatively low elevation of 431 feet, planes can take off or land at Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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.
• Around the end of the 1960s studies were made for a completely new facility and the site of the present airport was chosen.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• 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.
• 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.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.