Nonstop flight route between Avarua, Cook Islands and Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), Avarua, Cook Islands and Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM), Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,151 miles (or 8,290 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 Rarotonga International Airport and Alamogordo–White Sands Regional 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 Rarotonga International Airport and Alamogordo–White Sands Regional 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 Rarotonga International Airport (RAR):

• Rarotonga International Airport is the Cook Islands' main international gateway, located in the town and district of Avarua, Rarotonga, 3km west of the downtown area on the northern coast.
• Rarotonga International Airport (RAR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Rarotonga International Airport's relatively low elevation of 19 feet, planes can take off or land at Rarotonga 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 Rarotonga International Airport (RAR) is Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT), which is nearly antipodal to Rarotonga International Airport (meaning Rarotonga International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Faya-Largeau Airport), and is located 12,199 miles (19,632 kilometers) away in Faya-Largeau, Chad.
• The closest airport to Rarotonga International Airport (RAR) is Mangaia Island Airport (MGS), which is located 131 miles (211 kilometers) ESE of RAR.
• Air Rarotonga Saab 340 and Embraer Bandeirante
• An $8.5m reconstruction project commenced in 2009 to revamp and expand the existing terminal facilities.

Facts about Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM):

• The furthest airport from Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,319 miles (18,217 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 414 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 505 enplanements in 2009, and 369 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is Holloman Air Force Base Alamogordo Army Airfield (HMN), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) W of ALM.
• Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) has 2 runways.
• Because of Alamogordo–White Sands Regional Airport's high elevation of 4,200 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ALM. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ALM a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.