Nonstop flight route between Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Kudat Airport (KUD), Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,001 miles (or 8,049 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 Kudat 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 Kudat 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):

• Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU) has 2 runways.
• Fuaʻamotu was originally built in 1942 by a civilian contractor for the US Army.
• 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.
• Until August 2006, Peau Vavaʻu used a DC-3 on their domestic routes, but this has recently been replaced with a Jetstream 41.
• 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.
• Some short-haul international flights such as to Fiji or American Samoa also operate from Vavaʻu Island's Lupepauʻu Airport from time to time.

Facts about Kudat Airport (KUD):

• Kudat Airport (KUD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Kudat Airport (KUD) is Lábrea Airport (LBR), which is nearly antipodal to Kudat Airport (meaning Kudat Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Lábrea Airport), and is located 12,324 miles (19,833 kilometers) away in Lábrea, Amazonas, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Kudat Airport (KUD) is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), which is located 86 miles (138 kilometers) SW of KUD.
• Because of Kudat Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Kudat 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.
• In addition to being known as "Kudat Airport", other names for KUD include "Lapangan Terbang Kudat" and "古达机场".