Nonstop flight route between Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Kathmandu, Nepal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu, Nepal would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,443 miles (or 11,979 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 Tribhuvan 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 Tribhuvan International 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 Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU):

• Until August 2006, Peau Vavaʻu used a DC-3 on their domestic routes, but this has recently been replaced with a Jetstream 41.
• On April 28, 2006, the Tongan Government ended their controversial one-airline policy that had been in favour of Peau Vavaʻu.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM):

• The furthest airport from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,530 miles (18,556 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• The closest airport to Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is Ramechhap Airport (RHP), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) ESE of KTM.
• In addition to being known as "Tribhuvan International Airport", another name for KTM is "त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल".
• Tribhuvan International Airport handled 3,405,015 passengers last year.
• In 1955 the airport was inaugurated by King Mahendra and renamed Tribhuvan Airport in memory of the king's father.
• The airport began as Gauchaur Airport, named after the area of Kathmandu where it was situated.
• The airport is now again connected to Europe with service by Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, after a long gap without service to Europe when Royal Nepal ended their flights to Frankfurt and London in 2001.
• Because of Tribhuvan International Airport's high elevation of 4,390 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KTM. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KTM a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) currently has only 1 runway.
• Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.