Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Tehran, Iran:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Mehrabad Airport (THR), Tehran, Iran would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,634 miles (or 9,067 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 Mehrabad 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 Mehrabad 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 closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Mehrabad Airport (THR):

• The furthest airport from Mehrabad Airport (THR) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,490 miles (18,491 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Mehrabad Airport (THR) has 3 runways.
• Mehrabad International Airport or Mehrabad is an airport that serves Tehran, Iran.
• The closest airport to Mehrabad Airport (THR) is Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) SSW of THR.
• In addition to being known as "Mehrabad Airport", another name for THR is "فرودگاه مهرآباد".
• Mehrabad Airport handled 13,163,368 passengers last year.
• The airport has the head offices of Iran Air and the Iran Civil Aviation Organization.
• IKA Airport was scheduled to open in 2004 with international flights gradually changing from Mehrabad starting with flights to countries bordering the Persian Gulf.
• The airport was first time used as an airfield for aviation club planes in 1938, then after World War II along with becoming internationally recognized by joining Iran civil aviation organization to the ICAO in 1949, the airport also became an air force base.