Nonstop flight route between Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and Salinas, Ecuador:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fuaʻamotu International Airport (TBU), Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga and General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC), Salinas, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,431 miles (or 10,349 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 General Ulpiano Paez 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 General Ulpiano Paez 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• Fuaʻamotu International Airport is equipped with VOR/DME and NDB navigational facilities.
• Until August 2006, Peau Vavaʻu used a DC-3 on their domestic routes, but this has recently been replaced with a Jetstream 41.
• 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.

Facts about General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC):

• In addition to being known as "General Ulpiano Paez Airport", another name for SNC is "Aeropuerto General Ulpiano Paez".
• General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC) has 2 runways.
• Because of General Ulpiano Paez Airport's relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at General Ulpiano Paez 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 General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC) is José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE), which is located 76 miles (123 kilometers) E of SNC.
• During World War II the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force defending the South American coastline and the Panama Canal against Japanese submarines.
• The furthest airport from General Ulpiano Paez Airport (SNC) is Aek Godang Airport (AEG), which is nearly antipodal to General Ulpiano Paez Airport (meaning General Ulpiano Paez Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aek Godang Airport), and is located 12,374 miles (19,914 kilometers) away in Padang Sidempuan, Indonesia.