Nonstop flight route between Santa Ana, California, United States and Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SNA to TBU:
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- About this route
- SNA Airport Information
- TBU Airport Information
- Facts about SNA
- Facts about TBU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SNA
- List of Nearest Airports to SNA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SNA
- List of Furthest Airports from SNA
- 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 John Wayne Airport (SNA), Santa Ana, California, United States and Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,347 miles (or 8,605 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 John Wayne 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 John Wayne 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: | SNA / KSNA |
Airport Name: | John Wayne Airport |
Location: | Santa Ana, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°40'32"N by 117°52'5"W |
Area Served: | Orange County, California |
Operator/Owner: | Orange County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 56 feet (17 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SNA |
More Information: | SNA 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 |
Elevation: | 126 feet (38 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from TBU |
More Information: | TBU Maps & Info |
Facts about John Wayne Airport (SNA):
- The furthest airport from John Wayne Airport (SNA) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,490 miles (18,491 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- John Wayne Airport (SNA) has 2 runways.
- John Wayne Airport covers 500.82 acres.
- After the Orange County Airport was renamed John Wayne Airport in 1979, the John Wayne Associates commissioned sculptor Robert Summers to create a bronze statue of "the Duke." The 9-foot statue, created at Hoka Hey Foundry in Dublin, Texas, was dedicated to the County on November 4, 1982.
- Nonstop flights reached Salt Lake City in 1976–77, Denver in 1982, Dallas-Fort Worth in 1983, Chicago in 1986, and New York Kennedy in 1991.
- The earliest dated depiction of Martin Airport which has been located was on a 1929 AAA street map.
- The main passenger terminal, the Thomas F.
- Because of John Wayne Airport's relatively low elevation of 56 feet, planes can take off or land at John Wayne 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 John Wayne Airport (SNA) is MCAS El Toro (NZJ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) E of SNA.
- The Arrivals level is on the lower level of the airport and provides seven baggage claim belts, two in Terminal A, two in Terminal B and three in Terminal C.
- John Wayne Airport is an international airport in Orange County, California, with its mailing address in the city of Santa Ana, hence the IATA airport code.
Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (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.
- There is no public bus service to the airport, but several hostels and hotels in Nukuʻalofa meet flights and taxis are available.
- The closest airport to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Lifuka Island Airport (HPA), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) NNE of TBU.
- 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.
- Under Tongan law, Fuaʻamotu International Airport is closed on Sundays — only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.
- Fuaʻamotu was originally built in 1942 by a civilian contractor for the US Army.
- Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.