Nonstop flight route between Pinehurst / Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States and Canton Island, Kiribati:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SOP to CIS:
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- About this route
- SOP Airport Information
- CIS Airport Information
- Facts about SOP
- Facts about CIS
- Map of Nearest Airports to SOP
- List of Nearest Airports to SOP
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOP
- List of Furthest Airports from SOP
- Map of Nearest Airports to CIS
- List of Nearest Airports to CIS
- Map of Furthest Airports from CIS
- List of Furthest Airports from CIS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Moore County Airport (SOP), Pinehurst / Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States and Canton Island Airport (CIS), Canton Island, Kiribati would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,459 miles (or 10,395 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 Moore County Airport and Canton 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 Moore County Airport and Canton Island Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SOP / KSOP |
Airport Name: | Moore County Airport |
Location: | Pinehurst / Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°14'13"N by 79°23'27"W |
Operator/Owner: | Moore County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 461 feet (141 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SOP |
More Information: | SOP Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CIS / PCIS |
Airport Name: | Canton Island Airport |
Location: | Canton Island, Kiribati |
GPS Coordinates: | 2°46'9"S by 171°42'19"W |
Elevation: | 9 feet (3 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CIS |
More Information: | CIS Maps & Info |
Facts about Moore County Airport (SOP):
- Because of Moore County Airport's relatively low elevation of 461 feet, planes can take off or land at Moore County 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 Moore County Airport (SOP) is Mackall Army Airfield (HFF), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SSW of SOP.
- The rift was exacerbated by the Airport Authority's $2 million proposal which was approved by lawmakers, to build several large hangars using taxpayer funds.
- Moore County Airport (SOP) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Moore County Airport (SOP) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,608 miles (18,682 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Canton Island Airport (CIS):
- Kanton Island airport continued to see use during the 1950s as a trans-Pacific stopover for DC-4, DC-6B and DC-7C aircraft for Pan American, British Commonwealth Pacific, Qantas and Canadian Pacific Airlines, but with the advent of long-range jet aircraft during the 1960s, their need for the island faded, and the airfield and its associated facilities were ultimately abandoned in 1965.
- Canton Island Airport is an airport located on Kanton Island, in the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati.
- Because of Canton Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Canton 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.
- Though Kanton Island was never physically invaded by Japanese forces, the airfield was bombarded on 1 November 1943 by the Japanese submarine I-36.
- The political status of the island was uncertain at first, with American and British settlers occupying two separate camps on the island.
- The furthest airport from Canton Island Airport (CIS) is Malabo International Airport (SSG), which is nearly antipodal to Canton Island Airport (meaning Canton Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Malabo International Airport), and is located 12,363 miles (19,896 kilometers) away in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
- The closest airport to Canton Island Airport (CIS) is Funafuti International Airport (FUN), which is located 741 miles (1,193 kilometers) WSW of CIS.
- Canton Island Airport (CIS) currently has only 1 runway.