Nonstop flight route between Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,503 miles (or 5,637 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR):

• The closest airport to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Wilwal International Airport (JIJ), which is located 75 miles (120 kilometers) ESE of DIR.
• In addition to being known as "Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport", another name for DIR is "አባ ጤና ደጃዝማች ይልማ ዓለም አቀፍ የአየር ማረፊያ".
• The furthest airport from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (meaning Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport resides at an elevation of 3,829 feet above mean sea level.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 27 August 1981, Douglas C-47B ET-AGX of RRC Air Services was written off when the port undercarriage collapsed on landing.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport, also known as Dire Dawa International Airport, is an international airport serving Dire Dawa, a city in eastern Ethiopia.

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

• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located in the Federal Republic of Germany, near the village of Teveren and six kilometers west of the town of Geilenkirchen.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• The fleet of E-3's has remained in operation since the Cold War and has adapted its mission to emerging security threats, primarily in European airspace.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.