Nonstop flight route between Salton City, California, United States and Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SAS to TBU:
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- About this route
- SAS Airport Information
- TBU Airport Information
- Facts about SAS
- Facts about TBU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SAS
- List of Nearest Airports to SAS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SAS
- List of Furthest Airports from SAS
- Map of Nearest Airports to TBU
- List of Nearest Airports to TBU
- Map of Furthest Airports from TBU
- List of Furthest Airports from TBU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Salton Sea Airport (SAS), Salton City, California, United States and Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,419 miles (or 8,721 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 Salton Sea Airport 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 Salton Sea Airport and Fuaʻamotu International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SAS / KSAS |
Airport Name: | Salton Sea Airport |
Location: | Salton City, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°14'27"N by 115°57'9"W |
Area Served: | Salton City, California |
Operator/Owner: | Burrtec Waste Industries |
Airport Type: | Public |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SAS |
More Information: | SAS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | TBU / NFTF |
Airport Name: | Fuaʻamotu International Airport |
Location: | Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga |
GPS Coordinates: | 21°14'27"S by 175°8'57"W |
Area Served: | Nukuʻalofa, Tonga |
Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Civil Aviation |
Airport Type: | Public |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from TBU |
More Information: | TBU Maps & Info |
Facts about Salton Sea Airport (SAS):
- The furthest airport from Salton Sea Airport (SAS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,504 miles (18,514 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Salton Sea Airport (SAS) is Borrego Valley Airport (BXS), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) W of SAS.
- Because of Salton Sea Airport's relatively low elevation of -84 feet, planes can take off or land at Salton Sea 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.
- Salton Sea Airport (SAS) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):
- The closest airport to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Lifuka Island Airport (HPA), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) NNE of TBU.
- 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.
- Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
- 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.
- It is the strength of the runway rather than the length that restricts operations from Fuaʻamotu.
- On April 28, 2006, the Tongan Government ended their controversial one-airline policy that had been in favour of Peau Vavaʻu.
- Fuaʻamotu was originally built in 1942 by a civilian contractor for the US Army.
- Under Tongan law, Fuaʻamotu International Airport is closed on Sundays — only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.