Nonstop flight route between Panama City, Panama and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tocumen International Airport (PTY), Panama City, Panama and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,726 miles (or 14,043 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 Tocumen International 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 Tocumen International 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 Tocumen International Airport (PTY):

• Tocumen International Airport handled 7,784,328 passengers last year.
• Because of Tocumen International Airport's relatively low elevation of 135 feet, planes can take off or land at Tocumen 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.
• The furthest airport from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Tocumen International Airport (meaning Tocumen International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,101 miles (19,475 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Tocumen International Airport (PTY) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport (PAC), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) WSW of PTY.
• In addition to being known as "Tocumen International Airport", another name for PTY is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen".
• The main passenger terminal was expanded 20,830 m2 at a cost of approximately US$ 21 million.
• In order to build the structure that currently houses the current passenger terminal, a lot of land had to be moved and the bed of the Tocumen river had to be diverted from its original site.

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.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• 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.