Nonstop flight route between Port Vila, Vanuatu and Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bauerfield International Airport (VLI), Port Vila, Vanuatu and Kobe Airport (UKB), Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,219 miles (or 6,789 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 Bauerfield International Airport and Kobe 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 Bauerfield International Airport and Kobe 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 Bauerfield International Airport (VLI):

• The furthest airport from Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Letfotar Airport (MOM), which is nearly antipodal to Bauerfield International Airport (meaning Bauerfield International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Letfotar Airport), and is located 12,383 miles (19,928 kilometers) away in Moudjeria, Mauritania.
• In addition to being known as "Bauerfield International Airport", another name for VLI is "Port Vila International Airport".
• The closest airport to Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Siwo Airport (EAE), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of VLI.
• Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Bauerfield International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Bauerfield 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.
• On 25 March 1942, the Army sent about 500 men to Efate from Nouméa, and the 4th Defense Battalion, 45th Marines, arrived on 8 April.
• The airfield was originally named Efate Field, Vila Field or McDonald Field but was later officially named Bauer Field after Lt-Col.

Facts about Kobe Airport (UKB):

• The closest airport to Kobe Airport (UKB) is Kansai International Airport (KIX), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) S of UKB.
• Because of Kobe Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Kobe 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 furthest airport from Kobe Airport (UKB) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,976 miles (19,273 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• Kobe is already the most indebted municipality in Japan with debts of over ¥3 trillion, and this project's cost has made it very controversial.
• The city government of Kobe first proposed an airport adjacent to Port Island in 1971.
• On February 2, 2006, Kobe Airport Station was connected to Sannomiya Station in central Kobe by an extension of the existing Port Liner automated guideway transit system, using 2000 series trains as well as some older 8000 series trains.
• The construction of the airport was stalled for lack of funding until 1995, when it won national government support as a means for recovering the Kobe economy in the wake of the great Hanshin earthquake.
• Kobe Airport (UKB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Kobe businesses were still interested in the plan, however, and pressed the city government to propose a smaller facility with one 3,000 m runway.
• In addition to being known as "Kobe Airport", other names for UKB include "神戸空港" and "Kōbe Kūkō".