Midway Atoll

From dKosopedia

An atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean, about one third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo. Midway is the second most distant speck of land from the main Hawaiian islands, lying roughly 1,200 miles northwest of O'ahu. Only Kure Atoll lies farther west.

Midway was an important strategic location in the mid 20th Century for refueling trans-Pacific flights. It was the site of a famous battle in World War II. The advent of the Jet Age somewhat lessened the value of Midway, and the military base closed in 1993.

On October 31, 1996, through an executive order issued by President Bill Clinton, the jurisdiction and control of the atoll was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

There are no permanent residents, although contract staff maintain facilities year-round. Commercial airlines and other aircraft operators value the runway as an emergency landing option, allowing better and more direct routing trans-Pacific for certain aircraft.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken a major step toward reopening to the public Midway Atoll — a wildlife and military history icon — with the release yesterday [Dec. 8, 2006] of its draft interim visitor services plan." [1]

"Visitors could start flying to Midway as early as next year [2007] under the plan." [2]