Nonstop flight route between Salt Lake City, Utah, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,638 miles (or 10,683 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 Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC):

• The furthest airport from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,958 miles (17,635 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• As air travel became more popular and the United States Air Force established a base at the airport during World War II, a third runway was added.
• The airport and Salt Lake City Fire Department operate an Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting training facility located on the airport.
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has 4 runways.
• Because of Salt Lake City International Airport's high elevation of 4,227 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SLC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SLC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Salt Lake City International Airport handled 20,102,078 passengers last year.
• In 1925 the postal service began awarding contracts to private companies.
• The closest airport to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is Skypark Airport (BTF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NNE of SLC.
• Salt Lake City International Airport is a civil-military airport about 4 miles west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
• After airline deregulation in 1978 hub airports appeared.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.