Sand Island to HonoluluPMDY → PHNL
Henderson Field (PMDY / MDY) in Sand Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (PHNL / HNL) in Honolulu, Oahu, United States is 1,137 nautical miles — 2,106 kilometres, or 1,308 statute miles — on the great circle, on an initial bearing of 107°. A business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410 takes about 2h 50m block time in still air.
Published by Overfly · Airport data: OurAirports, · Last updated
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.
Where the others would stop
For each type that cannot fly the 1,137 nm non-stop, the airport on or near the great circle that splits it into two legs that both clear, for the least extra distance. Types that would need more than one stop are marked.
| TYPE | BEST SINGLE STOP | LEGS | EXTRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dash 8 Q400 | more than one stop | ||
Candidates are airports with a runway of 6,000 ft or more within 400 nm of the great circle, neither leg shorter than 15% of the whole, in still air. More in tech stops: where long flights stop and why.
Wind, month by month
The same business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410, in each month’s average upper wind. PMDY to PHNL is quickest in January (2h 30m) and slowest in May (2h 45m); PHNL to PMDY is quickest in May (2h 55m) and slowest in January (3h 15m). The wind column is the average along-track component: plus is a tailwind.
| MONTH | PMDY → PHNL | WIND | PHNL → PMDY | WIND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2h 30m | +73 kt | 3h 15m | −73 kt |
| February | 2h 30m | +70 kt | 3h 15m | −71 kt |
| March | 2h 35m | +60 kt | 3h 10m | −60 kt |
| April | 2h 40m | +41 kt | 3h 05m | −41 kt |
| May | 2h 45m | +24 kt | 2h 55m | −25 kt |
| June | 2h 45m | +11 kt | 2h 55m | −11 kt |
| July | 2h 45m | +16 kt | 2h 55m | −17 kt |
| August | 2h 45m | +18 kt | 2h 55m | −18 kt |
| September | 2h 45m | +13 kt | 2h 55m | −13 kt |
| October | 2h 45m | +18 kt | 2h 55m | −19 kt |
| November | 2h 40m | +34 kt | 3h 00m | −34 kt |
| December | 2h 35m | +51 kt | 3h 05m | −51 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 2h 39m from the nearest suitable airport, Honolulu, Oahu (PHNL), at the one-engine diversion speed Overfly uses (430 kt in still air). A twin flying this track needs ETOPS 180 approval or more: ETOPS 180 allows up to 180 minutes from an alternate.
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
Questions people ask about this route
How far is it from Sand Island (PMDY) to Honolulu (PHNL)?
1,137 nautical miles. That is 2,106 kilometres or 1,308 statute miles, measured as a great circle between Henderson Field and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
How long is the flight from Sand Island to Honolulu?
About 2h 50m 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 Sand Island and Honolulu?
In the average upper wind, Sand Island to Honolulu at Mach 0.85 runs from 2h 30m in January to 2h 45m in May, and the return from 2h 55m in May to 3h 15m 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 Sand Island (PMDY) to Honolulu (PHNL)?
107° 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 Sand Island to Honolulu 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 clear it on usable range — that is book range less a reserve allowance. Dash 8 Q400 would need a tech stop.
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