Nonstop flight route between Taupo, New Zealand and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO), Taupo, New Zealand and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,450 miles (or 13,599 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 Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō and Mercedita 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 Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō and Mercedita 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 Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO):

• The closest airport to Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) is Rotorua International Airport (ROT), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) NNE of TUO.
• The furthest airport from Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) is Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM), which is nearly antipodal to Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (meaning Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ciudad Real Central Airport), and is located 12,428 miles (20,001 kilometers) away in Ciudad Real, Spain.
• Taupo Airport is located within a Mandatory Broadcast Zone in uncontrolled airspace with type C airspace starting at 6500 ft AMSL and controlled by Christchurch Control.
• Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) has 2 runways.

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to 8,000 ft to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• In the fall of 1992, the runway was extended to make it possible for American Airlines to run flights to Miami, Florida.
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, a 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period.
• In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field no longer met the newer and more stringent minimum airport safety requirements, and airport operations were suspended.
• The Puerto Rico Ports Authority recently announced an investment of 7 million dollars to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet.