Nonstop flight route between Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU), Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,998 miles (or 8,044 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 Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component, 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 Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component. 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 Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU):

• Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU) currently has only 1 runway.
• Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport handled 1,343,899 passengers last year.
• In 1961 began the first renovation of the airport complex, with an extension of the runway and enlargement of the passenger terminal.
• The furthest airport from Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU) is Guam International Airport (GUM), which is nearly antipodal to Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (meaning Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Guam International Airport), and is located 12,223 miles (19,671 kilometers) away in Hagåtña, Guam.
• Because of Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Aracaju–Santa Maria 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.
• Although it had been in operation since the beginning of the 1950s, the official inauguration of the airport took place on 19 January 1958.
• In 2012 the airport has already started the last extension through the construction of a completely new passenger terminal which will double its capacity.
• It is operated by Infraero.
• The closest airport to Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU) is Maceió/Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport (MCZ), which is located 134 miles (216 kilometers) NE of AJU.
• In addition to being known as "Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport", another name for AJU is "Aeroporto Aracaju–Santa Maria".

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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.
• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.