Nonstop flight route between Scammon Bay, Alaska, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Scammon Bay Airport (SCM), Scammon Bay, Alaska, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,104 miles (or 8,214 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 Scammon Bay 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 Scammon Bay 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 Scammon Bay Airport (SCM):

• In addition to being known as "Scammon Bay Airport", another name for SCM is "PACM".
• The furthest airport from Scammon Bay Airport (SCM) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,502 miles (16,901 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Because of Scammon Bay Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Scammon Bay 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 closest airport to Scammon Bay Airport (SCM) is Cape Romanzof Air Force Station Cape Romanzof Long Range Radar Site    (CZF), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WSW of SCM.
• Scammon Bay Airport (SCM) has 2 runways.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• 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.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.