Nonstop flight route between Houston, Texas, United States and Abaiang, Kiribati:
Departure Airport:
(29°49'5"N by 95°40'20"W)
Arrival Airport:
(1°47'47"N by 173°2'25"E)
Distance from IWS to ABF:
6,233.81 miles (10,032.32 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- IWS Airport Information
- ABF Airport Information
- Facts about IWS
- Facts about ABF
- Map of Nearest Airports to IWS
- List of Nearest Airports to IWS
- Map of Furthest Airports from IWS
- List of Furthest Airports from IWS
- Map of Nearest Airports to ABF
- List of Nearest Airports to ABF
- Map of Furthest Airports from ABF
- List of Furthest Airports from ABF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between West Houston Airport (IWS), Houston, Texas, United States and Abaiang Atoll Airport (ABF), Abaiang, Kiribati would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,234 miles (or 10,032 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 West Houston Airport and Abaiang Atoll 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 West Houston Airport and Abaiang Atoll Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | IWS / KIWS |
| Airport Name: | West Houston Airport |
| Location: | Houston, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 29°49'5"N by 95°40'20"W |
| Area Served: | Houston, Texas |
| Operator/Owner: | West Houston Airport Corp. |
| Airport Type: | Public use |
| Elevation: | 111 feet (34 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from IWS |
| More Information: | IWS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | ABF / NGAB |
| Airport Name: | Abaiang Atoll Airport |
| Location: | Abaiang, Kiribati |
| GPS Coordinates: | 1°47'47"N by 173°2'25"E |
| Area Served: | Abaiang, Kiribati |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| View all routes: | Routes from ABF |
| More Information: | ABF Maps & Info |
Facts about West Houston Airport (IWS):
- The new sign at the entrance
- West Houston Airport (IWS) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to West Houston Airport (IWS) is Andrau Airpark (AAP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) SE of IWS.
- This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation reliever airport.Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center in Houston is the airport's designated ARTCC.
- Because of West Houston Airport's relatively low elevation of 111 feet, planes can take off or land at West Houston 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 furthest airport from West Houston Airport (IWS) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 10,979 miles (17,668 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- On January 3, 2012, a pilot flying a 1985 Cessna 172P with a 180 HP engine from West Houston Airport to Lone Star Executive Airport reported losing power to her aircraft.
Facts about Abaiang Atoll Airport (ABF):
- Because of Abaiang Atoll Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Abaiang Atoll 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 furthest airport from Abaiang Atoll Airport (ABF) is Cape Palmas Airport (CPA), which is nearly antipodal to Abaiang Atoll Airport (meaning Abaiang Atoll Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cape Palmas Airport), and is located 12,007 miles (19,323 kilometers) away in Cape Palmas, Liberia.
- The closest airport to Abaiang Atoll Airport (ABF) is Marakei Airport (MZK), which is located 23 miles (38 kilometers) NE of ABF.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 8.83 miles (14.21 km) SE | Andrau Airpark (AAP) | Houston, Texas, United States |     |
| 2 | 13.58 miles (21.86 km) S | Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) | Sugar Land, Texas (near Houston), United States | |
| 3 | 18.29 miles (29.44 km) NNE | David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH) | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| 4 | 22.91 miles (36.88 km) ENE | George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| 5 | 26.46 miles (42.59 km) ESE | William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| 6 | 34.10 miles (54.88 km) ESE | Ellington Field Joint Reserve BaseEllington Air Force BaseEllington Field (EFD) | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| 7 | 40.00 miles (64.38 km) NNE | Lone Star Executive Airport (CXO) | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| 8 | 43.21 miles (69.54 km) E | Baytown Airport (HPY) | Baytown, Texas, United States | |
| 9 | 48.56 miles (78.15 km) SW | Wharton Regional Airport (WHT) | Wharton, Texas, United States | |
| 10 | 50.64 miles (81.50 km) SSE | Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport (LJN) | Angleton / Lake Jackson, Texas, United States | |
| 11 | 59.50 miles (95.76 km) S | Bay City Municipal Airport (BBC) | Bay City, Texas, United States | |
| 12 | 61.99 miles (99.76 km) SE | Scholes International Airport at Galveston (GLS) | Galveston, Texas, United States | |
| 13 | 64.36 miles (103.58 km) N | Bruce Brothers Huntsville Regional Airport (HTV) | Huntsville, Texas, United States | |
| 14 | 67.36 miles (108.40 km) NW | Easterwood Airport (CLL) | College Station, Texas, United States | |
| 15 | 73.41 miles (118.14 km) NNW | Coulter Field (CFD) | Bryan, Texas, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,978.58 miles (17,668.27 km) SW | Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK) | Cocos Islands, Australia | |
| 2 | 10,952.82 miles (17,626.82 km) ESE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,653.72 miles (17,145.45 km) ESE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 4 | 10,634.50 miles (17,114.52 km) W | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 10,622.80 miles (17,095.70 km) W | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 10,615.95 miles (17,084.67 km) WSW | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,610.33 miles (17,075.63 km) W | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,609.04 miles (17,073.55 km) W | Carnarvon Airport (CVQ) | Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,604.64 miles (17,066.48 km) W | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,598.75 miles (17,056.99 km) WSW | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,586.79 miles (17,037.74 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,582.60 miles (17,030.99 km) WSW | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,567.23 miles (17,006.26 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,561.50 miles (16,997.04 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,558.05 miles (16,991.49 km) W | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 23.50 miles (37.82 km) NE | Marakei Airport (MZK) | Marakei, Kiribati | |
| 2 | 29.59 miles (47.61 km) SSE | Bonriki International Airport (TRW) | Tarawa, Kiribati | |
| 3 | 90.53 miles (145.69 km) N | Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG) | Butaritari Atoll, Kiribati | |
| 4 | 105.37 miles (169.57 km) SSE | Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) | Abemama Atoll, Kiribati | |
| 5 | 118.69 miles (191.01 km) SSE | Aranuka Airport (AAK) | Aranuka, Kiribati | |
| 6 | 299.02 miles (481.23 km) SE | Beru Island Airport (BEZ) | Beru, Kiribati | |
| 7 | 302.12 miles (486.21 km) NNW | Enejit Airport (EJT) | Enejit, Marshall Islands | |
| 8 | 309.74 miles (498.48 km) NNW | Mili Airport (MIJ) | Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands | |
| 9 | 353.48 miles (568.87 km) WNW | Ebon Airport (EBO) | Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands | |
| 10 | 368.46 miles (592.99 km) NW | Jaluit Airport (UIT) | Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands | |
| 11 | 376.31 miles (605.62 km) NNW | Ine Airport (IMI) | Ine, Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands | |
| 12 | 376.75 miles (606.32 km) NNW | Tinak Airport (TIC) | Tinak, Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands | |
| 13 | 378.78 miles (609.58 km) NW | Kili Airport (KIO) | Kili Island, Marshall Islands | |
| 14 | 383.83 miles (617.72 km) NNW | Marshall Islands International Airport (MAJ) | Majuro, Marshall Islands | |
| 15 | 387.00 miles (622.81 km) NNW | Airok Airport (AIC) | Airok, Marshall Islands | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,007.09 miles (19,323.48 km) N | Cape Palmas Airport (CPA) | Cape Palmas, Liberia | |
| 2 | 11,978.80 miles (19,277.97 km) NNE | Sasstown Airport (SAZ) | Sasstown, Liberia | |
| 3 | 11,968.71 miles (19,261.72 km) N | Sassandra Airport (ZSS) | Sassandra, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| 4 | 11,942.93 miles (19,220.24 km) NNE | Greenville/Sinoe Airport (SNI) | Greenville, Liberia | |
| 5 | 11,906.09 miles (19,160.95 km) NNW | Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (ABJ) | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| 6 | 11,900.85 miles (19,152.51 km) NNW | Divo Airport (DIV) | Divo, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | |
| 7 | 11,888.60 miles (19,132.79 km) N | Tchien Airport (THC) | Tchien, Liberia | |
| 8 | 11,886.87 miles (19,130.02 km) N | Gagnoa Airport (GGN) | Gagnoa, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| 9 | 11,876.03 miles (19,112.57 km) NNW | Aboisso Airport (ABO) | Aboisso, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| 10 | 11,863.39 miles (19,092.23 km) NNE | Buchanan Airport (UCN) | Buchanan, Liberia | |
| 11 | 11,859.95 miles (19,086.69 km) N | Guiglo Airport (GGO) | Guiglo, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| 12 | 11,852.07 miles (19,074.01 km) NW | Takoradi Airport (TKD) | Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana | |
| 13 | 11,842.40 miles (19,058.44 km) N | Daloa Airport (DJO) | Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | |
| 14 | 11,834.35 miles (19,045.50 km) NNE | Roberts International Airport Roberts Field (ROB) | Monrovia, Liberia | |
| 15 | 11,831.58 miles (19,041.03 km) NNW | Dimbokro Airport (DIM) | Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire | |