Nonstop flight route between Las Vegas, Nevada, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,449 miles (or 10,378 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 McCarran International 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 McCarran International 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 McCarran International Airport (LAS):

• McCarran International Airport handled 40,933,037 passengers last year.
• In 2004 McCarran handled 201,135,520 pounds of cargo.
• The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 33 weekday departures on Western, United, TWA and Bonanza.
• The furthest airport from McCarran International Airport (LAS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,305 miles (18,194 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In 2008 the D Gates NW wing opened with nine more gates.
• On October 16, 2003 the airport installed SpeedCheck kiosks which allow customers to obtain a boarding pass without having to go to a specific airline kiosk or counter.
• The closest airport to McCarran International Airport (LAS) is Henderson Executive Airport (HSH), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) S of LAS.
• In 1978 Senator Howard Cannon pushed the Airline Deregulation Act through Congress.
• McCarran International Airport (LAS) has 4 runways.
• Terminal 2 opened on December 18, 1991, as The Charter International Terminal and was used for all international as well as most charter flights into Las Vegas.
• An expansion plan, McCarran 2000, was adopted in 1978 and funded by a $300 million bond issue in 1982.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• 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 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• 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 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.