Nonstop flight route between Mackay, Queensland, Australia and Leominster, Massachusetts, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mackay Airport (MKY), Mackay, Queensland, Australia and Moore Army Airfield (AYE), Leominster, Massachusetts, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,662 miles (or 15,550 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 Mackay Airport and Moore Army Airfield, 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 Mackay Airport and Moore Army Airfield. 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 Mackay Airport (MKY):

• Because of Mackay Airport's relatively low elevation of 19 feet, planes can take off or land at Mackay 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 Mackay Airport (MKY) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,973 miles (19,269 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Despite the collapse of airlines Ansett Australia and Flight West Airlines in 2001, Mackay Airport has experienced considerable growth in recent years, due to the use of the airport by Virgin Australia and the expansion of QantasLink services, and handles over 620,000 passengers through the terminal per annum but that has slowed and the airport is up for sale.
• Mackay Airport had grass landing strips until 1940, when the Commonwealth Government extended the airport's boundaries and upgraded the runways to unsealed gravel for use during World War II.
• Mackay Airport handled 1,049,172 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Mackay Airport (MKY) is Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) NNW of MKY.
• Mackay Airport (MKY) has 2 runways.
• In January 2010, Auckland International Airport Limited, announced plans to purchase almost 25 per cent of North Queensland Airports, operator of the airports at Cairns and Mackay, for about $167 million.

Facts about Moore Army Airfield (AYE):

• When the nearby fort was expanded in 1940, the airport supposedly "gained" its own airfield.
• The furthest airport from Moore Army Airfield (AYE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,738 miles (18,891 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The field was closed around 1995 after the Army left.
• Moore Army Airfield is located in Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
• In addition to being known as "Moore Army Airfield", another name for AYE is "KAYE".
• The closest airport to Moore Army Airfield (AYE) is Nashua Airport (ASH), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NNE of AYE.
• Moore Army Airfield (AYE) has 5 runways.
• Because of Moore Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 256 feet, planes can take off or land at Moore Army Airfield 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.