Nonstop flight route between Pocatello, Idaho, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH), Pocatello, Idaho, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,611 miles (or 10,640 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 Pocatello Regional 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 Pocatello Regional 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 Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH):

• The closest airport to Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) is Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) NNE of PIH.
• Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) has 2 runways.
• Because of Pocatello Regional Airport's high elevation of 4,452 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PIH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PIH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In the mid 1980s, Cascade Airways served Pocatello with British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets, according to the February 15, 1985 edition of the North American Official Airline Guide.
• Horizon Air served Pocatello until January 7, 2006, originally with service to Salt Lake City in 1983.
• The airport is built on the site of the Pocatello Army Airfield, a World War II training base.
• The furthest airport from Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,820 miles (17,413 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In 1943, the Pocatello Army Airfield was built as a Second Air Force heavy bomber training base.
• In addition to being known as "Pocatello Regional Airport", another name for PIH is "(formerly Pocatello Army Airfield)".

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• 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.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• 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.
• Buka Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.