Nonstop flight route between Mareeba, Queensland, Australia and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mareeba Airfield (MRG), Mareeba, Queensland, Australia and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,019 miles (or 1,641 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 relatively short distance between Mareeba Airfield and Buka Island Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Mareeba Airfield (MRG):

• Today, the airfield hosts a museum with several World War II vintage airplanes on display in a flyable condition, and a major maintenance facility for Mission Aviation Fellowship.
• The furthest airport from Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,810 miles (19,007 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Mareeba Airfield (MRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• A major US Army Air Force Base during World War II, Mareeba housed both heavy bomber and fighter squadrons of that Service in 1942 and 1943.
• The closest airport to Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Cairns Airport (CNS), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) ENE of MRG.
• In addition to being known as "Mareeba Airfield", another name for MRG is "Mareeba Airport".
• With the departure of the American units, Mareeba was then used by Nos 5 and 100 Squadrons, No 5 Communication Unit and a variety of Royal Australian Air Force support units, with No 24 Operational Base Unit disbanding in early 1946.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of 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.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.