Nonstop flight route between Polokwane, South Africa and Kahului, Hawaii, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Polokwane International Airport (PTG), Polokwane, South Africa and Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 12,009 miles (or 19,327 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 Polokwane International Airport and Kahului 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 Polokwane International Airport and Kahului Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

The distance between PTG and OGG makes them almost exactly antipodal (the exact opposite side of the world) to each other. Nonstop flights between Polokwane International Airport and Kahului Airport would be very impractical for the airlines, because only a lightly loaded Boeing 777-200LR would be able to make the trip. Since airlines need to be able to take as many people and cargo as possible in order to make a profit, the odds of ever seeing a nonstop flight between PTG and OGG are slim to none. However, you'll still be able to get from Polokwane, South Africa and Kahului, Hawaii, United States by taking some connecting flights!

Did you know that one full circling of the Earth (measuring from the equator) is about 24,901.5 miles (or 40,075 kilometers), which means if you were 12,450 miles from any given point on the planet, the distance back to your starting point would be about the same -- in any direction! The same can be said for a nonstop flight between PTG and OGG!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Polokwane International Airport (PTG):

• Polokwane International Airport (PTG) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Polokwane International Airport", another name for PTG is "Gateway International Airport".
• Because of Polokwane International Airport's high elevation of 4,076 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PTG. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PTG a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Polokwane International Airport (PTG) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is nearly antipodal to Polokwane International Airport (meaning Polokwane International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hilo International Airport), and is located 12,031 miles (19,362 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
• The closest airport to Polokwane International Airport (PTG) is Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS), which is located 106 miles (171 kilometers) ESE of PTG.

Facts about Kahului Airport (OGG):

• Kahului Airport (OGG) has 2 runways.
• The NTSB determined the cause of the accident was the airplane's controlled flight into terrain as a result of the decision of the captain to continue the flight under visual flight rules at night into instrument meteorological conditions, which obscured rising mountainous terrain.
• The furthest airport from Kahului Airport (OGG) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Kahului Airport (meaning Kahului Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,372 miles (19,911 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.
• The closest airport to Kahului Airport (OGG) is Kapalua Airport (JHM), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) WNW of OGG.
• All 20 aboard the aircraft died.
• The Kahului Airport terminal building has ticketing, USDA agricultural inspection, and baggage claim areas on the ground level.
• Because of Kahului Airport's relatively low elevation of 54 feet, planes can take off or land at Kahului 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.
• Investigations of the disaster, headquartered at Honolulu International Airport, concluded that the accident was caused by metal fatigue.
• Kahului Airport handled 5,346,694 passengers last year.
• As a result of the passage of Hawai'i State Legislature bills in 1998 and 2001, Kahului is planned to undergo expansion for new, larger facilities, lengthening of runways, increasing of fuel storage capacities, and construction of new access roads.