Nonstop flight route between West Point, Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States and Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between West Point Village Seaplane Base (KWP), West Point, Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States and Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,599 miles (or 9,011 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 Point Village Seaplane Base and Fuaʻamotu 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 West Point Village Seaplane Base and Fuaʻamotu International 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 West Point Village Seaplane Base (KWP):

• West Point Village Seaplane Base has one seaplane landing area designated E/W with a water surface measuring 10,000 by 500 feet.
• West Point Village Seaplane Base is a public use seaplane base located in West Point, in the Kodiak Island Borough of the U.S.
• West Point Village Seaplane Base (KWP) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of West Point Village Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at West Point Village Seaplane Base 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 Point Village Seaplane Base (KWP) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,793 miles (17,369 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to West Point Village Seaplane Base (KWP) is San Juan (Uganik) Seaplane Base (UGI), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) ESE of KWP.

Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):

• Until August 2006, Peau Vavaʻu used a DC-3 on their domestic routes, but this has recently been replaced with a Jetstream 41.
• Because of Fuaʻamotu International Airport's relatively low elevation of 126 feet, planes can take off or land at Fuaʻamotu 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.
• The furthest airport from Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport (TMR), which is nearly antipodal to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (meaning Fuaʻamotu International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport), and is located 12,322 miles (19,830 kilometers) away in Tamanrasset, Algeria.
• It is the strength of the runway rather than the length that restricts operations from Fuaʻamotu.
• Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
• On April 28, 2006, the Tongan Government ended their controversial one-airline policy that had been in favour of Peau Vavaʻu.
• The closest airport to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Lifuka Island Airport (HPA), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) NNE of TBU.
• Fuaʻamotu was originally built in 1942 by a civilian contractor for the US Army.