Nonstop flight route between Tampa, Florida, United States and Mackay, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF), Tampa, Florida, United States and Mackay Airport (MKY), Mackay, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,182 miles (or 14,777 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 Peter O. Knight Airport and Mackay 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 Peter O. Knight Airport and Mackay 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 Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF):

• The closest airport to Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) is MacDill Air Force Base (MCF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TPF.
• Tampa's annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest- a Mardi Gras-like festival held in January, includes a Pirate Flotilla that sails up the channel into Tampa - the symbolic beginning of the Pirate's reign over the city.
• Because of Peter O. Knight Airport's relatively low elevation of 8 feet, planes can take off or land at Peter O. Knight 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.
• During World War II, the airport was used as an auxiliary fighter landing field for several Army airfields including, Clearwater.
• Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) has 2 runways.
• The local fixed base operator was recently sold by Tampa Flying Service and is now operated by Atlas Aviation.
• The furthest airport from Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,440 miles (18,411 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Mackay Airport (MKY):

• Mackay Airport handled 1,049,172 passengers last year.
• Mackay Airport had grass landing strips until 1940, when the Commonwealth Government extended the airport's boundaries and upgraded the runways to unsealed gravel for use during World War II.
• Because of Mackay Airport's relatively low elevation of 19 feet, planes can take off or land at Mackay 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 November 2008, Mackay Airport was sold to a private consortium to fund the development of Mackay Hospital.
• In January 2010, Auckland International Airport Limited, announced plans to purchase almost 25 per cent of North Queensland Airports, operator of the airports at Cairns and Mackay, for about $167 million.
• Despite the collapse of airlines Ansett Australia and Flight West Airlines in 2001, Mackay Airport has experienced considerable growth in recent years, due to the use of the airport by Virgin Australia and the expansion of QantasLink services, and handles over 620,000 passengers through the terminal per annum but that has slowed and the airport is up for sale.
• The furthest airport from Mackay Airport (MKY) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,973 miles (19,269 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Mackay Airport (MKY) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Mackay Airport (MKY) is Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) NNW of MKY.