Nonstop flight route between Banjul, Gambia and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Banjul International Airport (BJL), Banjul, Gambia and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,686 miles (or 10,760 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 Banjul International Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base, 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 Banjul International Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base. 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 Banjul International Airport (BJL):

• Banjul International Airport (BJL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Banjul International Airport (BJL) is Ziguinchor Airport (ZIG), which is located 60 miles (96 kilometers) SSE of BJL.
• The head office of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority is located on the airport property.
• The furthest airport from Banjul International Airport (BJL) is Kirakira Airport (IRA), which is nearly antipodal to Banjul International Airport (meaning Banjul International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kirakira Airport), and is located 12,214 miles (19,657 kilometers) away in Kirakira, Makira Island, Solomon Islands.
• The airport has a number of amenities, including bars serving primarily snacks and drinks, as well as small shops selling local souvenirs and stalls representing local cell phone providers, all of which are before security.
• Because of Banjul International Airport's relatively low elevation of 95 feet, planes can take off or land at Banjul International 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.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.
• The Elmendorf AFB is a site of one of the now decommissioned FLR-9 Wullenweber-class antennas, a node of the now obsolete High Frequency SIGINT direction finding system.
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• Despite a diminished number of personnel and aircraft, a turning point in Elmendorf's history occurred in 1970 with the arrival of the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron in June 1970 from MacDill AFB, Florida.
• Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB.
• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".