Nonstop flight route between Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Hilo, Hawaii, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from TBU to ITO:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- TBU Airport Information
- ITO Airport Information
- Facts about TBU
- Facts about ITO
- Map of Nearest Airports to TBU
- List of Nearest Airports to TBU
- Map of Furthest Airports from TBU
- List of Furthest Airports from TBU
- Map of Nearest Airports to ITO
- List of Nearest Airports to ITO
- Map of Furthest Airports from ITO
- List of Furthest Airports from ITO
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Hilo International Airport (ITO), Hilo, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,139 miles (or 5,052 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 Fuaʻamotu International Airport and Hilo 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 Fuaʻamotu International Airport and Hilo 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: | 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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | ITO / PHTO |
Airport Name: | Hilo International Airport |
Location: | Hilo, Hawaii, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 19°43'13"N by 155°2'53"W |
Operator/Owner: | Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 38 feet (12 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from ITO |
More Information: | ITO Maps & Info |
Facts about Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):
- Under Tongan law, Fuaʻamotu International Airport is closed on Sundays — only to be opened in distress, after the minister's approval.
- 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.
- Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
- Some short-haul international flights such as to Fiji or American Samoa also operate from Vavaʻu Island's Lupepauʻu Airport from time to time.
- 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.
Facts about Hilo International Airport (ITO):
- The closest airport to Hilo International Airport (ITO) is Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) W of ITO.
- In the wake of ATA's bankruptcy, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported an undisclosed major U.S.
- Hilo International Airport (ITO) has 2 runways.
- Sixteen months after the dedication, scheduled inter-island service began on November 11, 1929 by Inter-Island Airways, the forerunner of Hawaiian Airlines.
- Hilo International Airport handled 1,279,342 passengers last year.
- Today, Hilo International Airport is the smallest of the state's five major airports in terms of passenger arrivals and departures.
- Groundbreaking for a new terminal was held in July 1974.
- Because of Hilo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 38 feet, planes can take off or land at Hilo 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.
- The furthest airport from Hilo International Airport (ITO) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Hilo International Airport (meaning Hilo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,336 miles (19,854 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.