Nonstop flight route between Athens, Tennessee, United States and Lae, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McMinn County Airport (MMI), Athens, Tennessee, United States and Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE), Lae, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,633 miles (or 13,893 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 McMinn County Airport and Lae Nadzab 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 McMinn County Airport and Lae Nadzab 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 McMinn County Airport (MMI):

• McMinn County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Athens, a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States.
• McMinn County Airport (MMI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to McMinn County Airport (MMI) is Rockwood Municipal Airport (RKW), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) N of MMI.
• The furthest airport from McMinn County Airport (MMI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,317 miles (18,212 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of McMinn County Airport's relatively low elevation of 858 feet, planes can take off or land at McMinn County 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.

Facts about Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE):

• Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is located 11,714 miles (18,852 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.
• In March 1942, the Japanese occupied Lae and Salamaua.
• The closest airport to Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) is Bulolo Airport (BUL), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) S of LAE.
• The first parachute jump for the 503rd Parachute Regiment was during the Allied paratrooper assault on 5 September 1943.
• In 1962, the main strip at Nadzab was resealed by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Works and lengthened to make it suitable for Mirage fighters, even though they never materialised.
• Lae airfield continued to be used by Air Niugini and other third-level airlines until 1987.
• Because of Lae Nadzab Airport's relatively low elevation of 239 feet, planes can take off or land at Lae Nadzab 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.