Nonstop flight route between Sisimiut, Greenland and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sisimiut Airport (JHS), Sisimiut, Greenland and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,977 miles (or 12,838 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 Sisimiut 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 Sisimiut 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 Sisimiut Airport (JHS):

• In shorter term there are plans to extend the runway a little, in connection with replacement of the Air Greenland fleet.
• Before the airport was opened in the 1990s, Sisimiut had been served by the now-closed heliport, located on the eastern outskirts of the town, in Sisimiut valley.
• Because of Sisimiut Airport's relatively low elevation of 33 feet, planes can take off or land at Sisimiut 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.
• Sisimiut Airport handled 22,955 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Sisimiut Airport (JHS) is Attu Heliport (QGQ), which is located 68 miles (110 kilometers) N of JHS.
• The furthest airport from Sisimiut Airport (JHS) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 10,591 miles (17,044 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Sisimiut Airport", other names for JHS include "Mittarfik Sisimiut" and "Sisimiut Lufthavn".
• Sisimiut Airport (JHS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.