Nonstop flight route between Gambell, Alaska, United States and Colombo, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gambell Airport (GAM), Gambell, Alaska, United States and Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Colombo, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,322 miles (or 10,174 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 Gambell Airport and Bandaranaike International 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 Gambell Airport and Bandaranaike International 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 Gambell Airport (GAM):

• Gambell Airport was used as a transport base during World War II, facilitating the transit of Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union.
• On 30 August 1975, Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F-27B on approach to landing, crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain after multiple missed approaches, killing the pilot and co-pilot and eight others out of the 32 crew and passengers on board.
• In addition to being known as "Gambell Airport", another name for GAM is "(former Gambell Army Airfield)".
• Because of Gambell Airport's relatively low elevation of 27 feet, planes can take off or land at Gambell 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.
• The closest airport to Gambell Airport (GAM) is Savoonga Airport (SVA), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) E of GAM.
• Gambell Airport (GAM) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 27 February 1974, a Soviet Union An-24LR carrying a crew of 3 and 10 scientists on an ice-reconnaissance mission landed at Gambell due to fuel exhaustion in bad weather, causing a minor Cold War incident.
• The furthest airport from Gambell Airport (GAM) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,421 miles (16,771 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• Gambell Airport is a public airport located in Gambell, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S.

Facts about Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB):

• The existing airport will be converted to a domestic and regional terminal when the new complex is ready.
• The second stage will involve the acquisition of 600 hectares of public land, the construction of a runway capable of accommodating new-generation airplanes, an aircraft repair and maintenance center, an arrival and a departure terminal, a shopping arcade, a cargo complex connected to the airport by rail and a multistory car park.
• Because of Bandaranaike International Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Bandaranaike 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.
• Bandaranaike International Airport handled 7,328,798 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,614 miles (18,691 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• In the early 1990s the position of the airport's runway was shifted northward and the old runway was made into a taxiway for departing and arriving aircraft.
• Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Bandaranaike International Airport is equipped with 6 double jetway gates in preparation for airlines introducing Airbus A380 service.
• The airport began as a Royal Air Force airfield in 1944 during the Second World War, RAF Station Negombo
• In addition to being known as "Bandaranaike International Airport", another name for CMB is "බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළபண்டாரநாயக்க பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• The closest airport to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is Ratmalana Airport (RML), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) S of CMB.