Nonstop flight route between Ailuk, Marshall Islands and Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ailuk Airport (AIM), Ailuk, Marshall Islands and RAF Ascension (ASI), Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena would travel a Great Circle distance of 12,100 miles (or 19,473 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 Ailuk Airport and RAF Ascension, 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 Ailuk Airport and RAF Ascension. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

The distance between AIM and ASI makes them almost exactly antipodal (the exact opposite side of the world) to each other. Nonstop flights between Ailuk Airport and RAF Ascension would be very impractical for the airlines, because only a lightly loaded Boeing 777-200LR would be able to make the trip. Since airlines need to be able to take as many people and cargo as possible in order to make a profit, the odds of ever seeing a nonstop flight between AIM and ASI are slim to none. However, you'll still be able to get from Ailuk, Marshall Islands and Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena by taking some connecting flights!

Did you know that one full circling of the Earth (measuring from the equator) is about 24,901.5 miles (or 40,075 kilometers), which means if you were 12,450 miles from any given point on the planet, the distance back to your starting point would be about the same -- in any direction! The same can be said for a nonstop flight between AIM and ASI!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ailuk Airport (AIM):

• The furthest airport from Ailuk Airport (AIM) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Ailuk Airport (meaning Ailuk Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,100 miles (19,473 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• The closest airport to Ailuk Airport (AIM) is Likiep Airport (LIK), which is located 53 miles (86 kilometers) WSW of AIM.

Facts about RAF Ascension (ASI):

• The furthest airport from RAF Ascension (ASI) is Ujae Airport (UJE), which is nearly antipodal to RAF Ascension (meaning RAF Ascension is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ujae Airport), and is located 12,370 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Ujae Atoll, Marshall Islands.
• The station comes under the overall jurisdiction of the Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands, an officer of one-star rank.
• Ascension Island Auxiliary Field was being built by 181 men from Saint Helena by 1957
• In 1939 Ascension became important as a HF/DF radio station covering trade routes.
• In addition to being known as "RAF Ascension", another name for ASI is "Wideawake Airbase/Field".
• The closest airport to RAF Ascension (ASI) is Sasstown Airport (SAZ), which is located 965 miles (1,553 kilometers) NNE of ASI.
• RAF Ascension Island was re-garrisoned by the RAF in 1982 and used extensively as a staging base during the Falklands War.