Nonstop flight route between Port Alexander, Alaska, United States and Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD), Port Alexander, Alaska, United States and Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,851 miles (or 9,417 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 Port Alexander Seaplane Base and Fuaʻamotu International 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 Port Alexander Seaplane Base and Fuaʻamotu International 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 Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD):

• Because of Port Alexander Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Alexander Seaplane Base 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.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 139 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 189 enplanements in 2009, and 146 in 2010.
• In addition to being known as "Port Alexander Seaplane Base", another name for PTD is "AHP".
• Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) is Point Baker Seaplane Base (KPB), which is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) E of PTD.
• The furthest airport from Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 10,640 miles (17,123 kilometers) away in Port Alfred, South Africa.

Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):

• Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport (TMR), which is nearly antipodal to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (meaning Fuaʻamotu International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport), and is located 12,322 miles (19,830 kilometers) away in Tamanrasset, Algeria.
• Under Tongan law, Fuaʻamotu International Airport is closed on Sundays — only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.
• It is the strength of the runway rather than the length that restricts operations from Fuaʻamotu.
• Because of Fuaʻamotu International Airport's relatively low elevation of 126 feet, planes can take off or land at Fuaʻamotu International 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.
• Until August 2006, Peau Vavaʻu used a DC-3 on their domestic routes, but this has recently been replaced with a Jetstream 41.
• The closest airport to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Lifuka Island Airport (HPA), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) NNE of TBU.
• Peau Vavaʻu operate a Convair 580 subleased from Reef Air leased from New Zealand's Air Chathams to Haʻapai and Vavaʻu, and a Twin Otter to Niuafoʻou and Niuatoputapu.