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NCRG → NIUEOpen in the mapper
ROUTE DISTANCE

Avarua to AlofiNCRG → NIUE

Rarotonga International Airport (NCRG / RAR) in Avarua, Cook Islands to Niue International Airport (NIUE / IUE) in Alofi, Niue is 584 nautical miles — 1,082 kilometres, or 672 statute miles — on the great circle, on an initial bearing of 281°. A business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410 takes about 1h 40m block time in still air.

Published by Overfly · Airport data: OurAirports, · Last updated

NAUTICAL MILES
584
KILOMETRES
1,082
STATUTE MILES
672
INITIAL BEARING
281°
BLOCK TIME
1h 40m
M0.85 · FL410 · still air

Can the aeroplane make it?

Range here is usable range — book range at long-range cruise, less a reserve allowance. It is the figure that decides whether the leg closes, and it is the question most mappers do not answer.

G650ER7,300 nm usable · 8%clears
G5506,550 nm usable · 9%clears
Global 75007,500 nm usable · 8%clears
Falcon 8X6,250 nm usable · 9%clears
Falcon 7X5,750 nm usable · 10%clears
Challenger 3503,000 nm usable · 19%clears
A350-9008,250 nm usable · 7%clears
B777-300ER7,120 nm usable · 8%clears
A320neo3,150 nm usable · 19%clears
A3203,150 nm usable · 19%clears
B737 MAX 83,250 nm usable · 18%clears
B737-8002,850 nm usable · 20%clears
An-1242,950 nm usable · 20%clears
Concorde3,650 nm usable · 16%clears
King Air 2001,400 nm usable · 42%clears
ATR 721,300 nm usable · 45%clears
Dash 8 Q4001,100 nm usable · 53%clears

Wind, month by month

The same business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410, in each month’s average upper wind. NCRG to NIUE is quickest in January (1h 45m) and slowest in May (1h 50m); NIUE to NCRG is quickest in May (1h 35m) and slowest in January (1h 40m). The wind column is the average along-track component: plus is a tailwind.

MONTHNCRG → NIUEWINDNIUE → NCRGWIND
January1h 45m−23 kt1h 40m+22 kt
February1h 45m−14 kt1h 40m+14 kt
March1h 45m−13 kt1h 40m+13 kt
April1h 45m−29 kt1h 40m+28 kt
May1h 50m−48 kt1h 35m+47 kt
June1h 50m−53 kt1h 35m+52 kt
July1h 50m−54 kt1h 35m+53 kt
August1h 50m−55 kt1h 35m+54 kt
September1h 50m−56 kt1h 35m+55 kt
October1h 50m−52 kt1h 35m+52 kt
November1h 50m−45 kt1h 35m+45 kt
December1h 45m−34 kt1h 35m+33 kt

Monthly means for 1991–2020 from NOAA’s NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, at the pressure level nearest the cruise (about FL387), along the great circle. An average is smoother than any one day’s jet stream, so a given flight can see much more or much less; airlines also move the track to use the wind, which this does not. More in how wind changes block time.

How far from an airport?

The worst point on the great circle is 1h 35m from the nearest suitable airport, Papeete (NTAA), at the one-engine diversion speed Overfly uses (430 kt in still air). A twin flying this track needs ETOPS 120 approval or more: ETOPS 120 allows up to 120 minutes from an alternate.

EQUAL-TIME POINTBETWEENTO EACH
21.0°S 161.1°WPapeete (NTAA) and Pago Pago (NSTU)1h 35m

A suitable airport here is one OurAirports classes as large with a runway of 8,000 ft or more. An operator’s real alternates also depend on weather, fire cover and approval, and its diversion speed on the type. More in equal-time points and ETOPS, explained.

The two fields

NCRG / RAR
Rarotonga International Airport
Avarua, (unassigned), Cook Islands-21.2027, -159.80606 m · 19 ft elevationlongest runway 08/26 · 2,328 m
NIUE / IUE
Niue International Airport
Alofi, (unassigned), Niue-19.0801, -169.923564 m · 209 ft elevationlongest runway 10/28 · 2,335 m

Questions people ask about this route

How far is it from Avarua (NCRG) to Alofi (NIUE)?

584 nautical miles. That is 1,082 kilometres or 672 statute miles, measured as a great circle between Rarotonga International Airport and Niue International Airport.

How long is the flight from Avarua to Alofi?

About 1h 40m block time for a business jet cruising at Mach 0.85 at FL410 in still air, including 30 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Wind moves that figure in either direction — eastbound across the North Atlantic or the Pacific it can be an hour or more. This page is deliberately still-air so the figure is stable and citable; to apply the month's average upper winds from NOAA, open the route in the mapper and switch on seasonal winds.

How much does wind change the flight time between Avarua and Alofi?

In the average upper wind, Avarua to Alofi at Mach 0.85 runs from 1h 45m in January to 1h 50m in May, and the return from 1h 35m in May to 1h 40m in January. Those are 1991–2020 monthly means from NOAA's reanalysis; on a given day the jet stream can make the difference larger or smaller.

What is the initial bearing from Avarua (NCRG) to Alofi (NIUE)?

281° true at the departure point. A great circle changes heading continuously, so this is the initial bearing, not a constant one.

Which aircraft can fly Avarua to Alofi non-stop?

Of the types Overfly carries, G650ER, G550, Global 7500, Falcon 8X, Falcon 7X, Challenger 350, A350-900, B777-300ER, A320neo, A320, B737 MAX 8, B737-800, An-124, Concorde, King Air 200, ATR 72, Dash 8 Q400 clear it on usable range — that is book range less a reserve allowance.

Check it against your own aircraft
Open the route in the mapper to set cruise, flight level and reserve, edit the schedule, and add legs.
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NEARBY ROUTES

For reference and planning interest. Not for operational flight planning. Distances are great circle on a sphere from WGS-84 coordinates; block times assume still air. © 2026 Overfly.Flights