Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Ajaccio, Corsica, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA), Ajaccio, Corsica, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,208 miles (or 8,381 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base and Napoleon Bonaparte 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base and Napoleon Bonaparte 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• 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.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• Following World War II, Elmendorf assumed an increasing role in the defense of North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
• 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.

Facts about Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA):

• Campo dell'Oro before aviation was an alluvial plain at the mouth of the Gravona.
• In addition to being known as "Napoleon Bonaparte Airport", another name for AJA is "Aéroport d'Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte".
• Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (meaning Napoleon Bonaparte Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,140 miles (19,538 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (AJA) is Figari-Sud Corse Airport (Figari South Corsica Airport) (FSC), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) SSE of AJA.
• Because of Napoleon Bonaparte Airport's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Napoleon Bonaparte 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.