Nonstop flight route between Comayagua, Honduras and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from XPL to BUA:
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- About this route
- XPL Airport Information
- BUA Airport Information
- Facts about XPL
- Facts about BUA
- Map of Nearest Airports to XPL
- List of Nearest Airports to XPL
- Map of Furthest Airports from XPL
- List of Furthest Airports from XPL
- 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 Soto Cano Air Base (XPL), Comayagua, Honduras and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,164 miles (or 13,138 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 Soto Cano Air Base 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 Soto Cano Air Base 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: | XPL / MHSC |
Airport Name: | Soto Cano Air Base |
Location: | Comayagua, Honduras |
GPS Coordinates: | 14°22'57"N by 87°37'15"W |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 2060 feet (628 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from XPL |
More Information: | XPL 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 Soto Cano Air Base (XPL):
- As of January 2008, all 44 of the apartment buildings were finished and already occupied.
- In addition to the Honduran Air Force Academy, the US military's Joint Task Force Bravo is headquartered at Soto Cano.
- The furthest airport from Soto Cano Air Base (XPL) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Soto Cano Air Base (meaning Soto Cano Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,101 miles (19,475 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- The closest airport to Soto Cano Air Base (XPL) is Marcala Airport (MRJ), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) WSW of XPL.
- Health care services are performed by the Medical Element.
- Soto Cano Air Base (XPL) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):
- The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
- 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.
- 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.
- There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
- Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.