Midway Island

From dKosopedia

Category: Hawaii stub

An atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean, about one third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo. 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.