Nonstop flight route between Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from XPR to BUA:
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- About this route
- XPR Airport Information
- BUA Airport Information
- Facts about XPR
- Facts about BUA
- Map of Nearest Airports to XPR
- List of Nearest Airports to XPR
- Map of Furthest Airports from XPR
- List of Furthest Airports from XPR
- 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 Pine Ridge Airport (XPR), Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,121 miles (or 11,459 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 Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge 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: | XPR / KIEN |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 43°1'21"N by 102°30'39"W |
Area Served: | Pine Ridge, South Dakota |
Operator/Owner: | Oglala Sioux Tribe |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 3333 feet (1,016 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from XPR |
More Information: | XPR 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 Pine Ridge Airport (XPR):
- In addition to being known as "Pine Ridge Airport", another name for XPR is "IEN".
- Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,632 miles (17,111 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) is Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) WSW of XPR.
Facts about Buka Island Airport (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.
- The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
- The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
- 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.
- Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.