Nonstop flight route between Santiago de Veraguas, Panama and Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SYP to TBU:
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- About this route
- SYP Airport Information
- TBU Airport Information
- Facts about SYP
- Facts about TBU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYP
- List of Nearest Airports to SYP
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYP
- List of Furthest Airports from SYP
- 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 Ruben Cantu Airport (SYP), Santiago de Veraguas, Panama and Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,689 miles (or 10,765 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 Ruben Cantu 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 Ruben Cantu 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: | SYP / MPSA |
Airport Name: | Ruben Cantu Airport |
Location: | Santiago de Veraguas, Panama |
GPS Coordinates: | 8°5'8"N by 80°56'43"W |
Operator/Owner: | Military of Panama |
Airport Type: | Military/Public |
Elevation: | 272 feet (83 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYP |
More Information: | SYP 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 Ruben Cantu Airport (SYP):
- The closest airport to Ruben Cantu Airport (SYP) is Río Hato / Scarlett Martinez Airport (RIH), which is located 59 miles (96 kilometers) ENE of SYP.
- Because of Ruben Cantu Airport's relatively low elevation of 272 feet, planes can take off or land at Ruben Cantu 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.
- Ruben Cantu Airport (SYP) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Ruben Cantu Airport (SYP) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Ruben Cantu Airport (meaning Ruben Cantu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,115 miles (19,498 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):
- Peau Vavaʻu operate a Convair 580 subleased from Reef Air leased from New Zealand's Air Chathams to Haʻapai and Vavaʻu, and a Twin Otter to Niuafoʻou and Niuatoputapu.
- The closest airport to Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) is Lifuka Island Airport (HPA), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) NNE of TBU.
- It is the strength of the runway rather than the length that restricts operations from Fuaʻamotu.
- Under Tongan law, Fuaʻamotu International Airport is closed on Sundays — only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.
- Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
- 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.
- 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.
- On April 28, 2006, the Tongan Government ended their controversial one-airline policy that had been in favour of Peau Vavaʻu.