Nonstop flight route between Show Low, Arizona, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Show Low Regional Airport (SOW), Show Low, Arizona, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,733 miles (or 10,835 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 Show Low Regional 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 Show Low Regional 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:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Show Low Regional Airport (SOW):

• Because of Show Low Regional Airport's high elevation of 6,415 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SOW. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SOW a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) is Taylor Airport (TYZ), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) NNW of SOW.
• The furthest airport from Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,355 miles (18,274 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 5,325 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 4,470 enplanements in 2009, and 3,080 in 2010.
• Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) has 2 runways.
• Show Low Regional Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles east of the central business district of Show Low, in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

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.
• 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 Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
• 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 Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.