Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Sisimiut, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Sisimiut Airport (JHS), Sisimiut, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,633 miles (or 4,238 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 Sisimiut 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 Sisimiut 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):

• On 28 July 2010, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft practicing for an upcoming airshow crashed into a wooded area within the base, killing all four air crew members.
• 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.
• Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

Facts about Sisimiut Airport (JHS):

• The furthest airport from Sisimiut Airport (JHS) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 10,591 miles (17,044 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• The closest airport to Sisimiut Airport (JHS) is Attu Heliport (QGQ), which is located 68 miles (110 kilometers) N of JHS.
• The construction of Sisimiut Airport was part of the regional airport network extension in Greenland, with several airports built to serve STOL aircraft of Air Greenland − the venerable De Havilland Canada Dash-7s acquired in the preceding decade − planes particularly suited to the often severe weather conditions in Greenland.
• Sisimiut Airport (JHS) currently has only 1 runway.
• There is no deicing equipment at the airport, which is costly and problematic in Greenlandic winter.
• Sisimiut Airport handled 22,955 passengers last year.
• Because of Sisimiut Airport's relatively low elevation of 33 feet, planes can take off or land at Sisimiut 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.
• In shorter term there are plans to extend the runway a little, in connection with replacement of the Air Greenland fleet.
• In addition to being known as "Sisimiut Airport", other names for JHS include "Mittarfik Sisimiut" and "Sisimiut Lufthavn".