Nonstop flight route between Abingdon, Virginia, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from VJI to BUA:
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- About this route
- VJI Airport Information
- BUA Airport Information
- Facts about VJI
- Facts about BUA
- Map of Nearest Airports to VJI
- List of Nearest Airports to VJI
- Map of Furthest Airports from VJI
- List of Furthest Airports from VJI
- Map of Nearest Airports to BUA
- List of Nearest Airports to BUA
- Map of Furthest Airports from BUA
- List of Furthest Airports from BUA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI), Abingdon, Virginia, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,267 miles (or 13,304 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 Virginia Highlands Airport and Buka Island 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 Virginia Highlands Airport and Buka Island Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | VJI / KVJI |
Airport Name: | Virginia Highlands Airport |
Location: | Abingdon, Virginia, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 36°41'13"N by 82°1'59"W |
Area Served: | Abingdon, Virginia |
Operator/Owner: | Virginia Highlands Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 2087 feet (636 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from VJI |
More Information: | VJI Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BUA / AYBK |
Airport Name: | Buka Island Airport |
Location: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 5°25'19"S by 154°40'21"E |
Area Served: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
Operator/Owner: | Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 11 feet (3 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BUA |
More Information: | BUA Maps & Info |
Facts about Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI):
- The closest airport to Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) is Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI), which is located 25 miles (41 kilometers) SW of VJI.
- The furthest airport from Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,454 miles (18,433 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):
- Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
- Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
- Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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.
- Buka Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
- The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
- On 26 July, an Imperial Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield.