Nonstop flight route between Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,717 miles (or 4,373 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 Albuquerque International Sunport and Mercedita 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 Albuquerque International Sunport and Mercedita 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 Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ):

• Albuquerque in the 1930s was served by two private airports, West Mesa Airport and Oxnard Field.
• The Airport Master Plan drafted in 2002 lays out intermediate- and long-term projects at the Sunport, including the removal of Runway 17/35 and the construction of a second terminal when traffic demands it.
• The airport's freight center moved 67,000 tons of cargo in 2008.
• Albuquerque International Sunport handled 5,801,641 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Albuquerque International Sunport", another name for ABQ is "Albuquerque".
• The furthest airport from Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,217 miles (18,051 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The Sunport began a new role in 1940 when it was designated Albuquerque Army Air Base, the precursor to today's Kirtland Air Force Base.
• Because of Albuquerque International Sunport's high elevation of 5,355 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ABQ. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ABQ a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Albuquerque International Sunport Airport covers 2,039 acres and has four runways.
• Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) has 4 runways.
• The closest airport to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), which is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) NE of ABQ.

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• The first scheduled commercial flights at Mercedita occurred in 1965 when domestic flights started.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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.
• On June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport.
• In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field no longer met the newer and more stringent minimum airport safety requirements, and airport operations were suspended.
• The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet long by 50 feet wide.
• During 2007, more passengers passed through the airport than the population of the entire city of Ponce itself.
• Mercedita Airport covers an area of 274 acres at an elevation of 29 feet above mean sea level.