Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 524 miles (or 843 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 relatively short distance between Malmstrom Air Force Base and Abbotsford International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
• By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.
• On 21 August 1954 the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom, died when his T-33 Shooting Star trainer crashed approximately one mile west of the Great Falls Municipal Airport.
• The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Great Falls played a major aerial defense role in North American air defense mission.
• The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
• This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
• Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.

Facts about Abbotsford International Airport (YXX):

• Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) has 2 runways.
• Because of Abbotsford International Airport's relatively low elevation of 194 feet, planes can take off or land at Abbotsford 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.
• Constructed as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airport.
• Since 2000 many airlines and tour operators have come and gone from Abbotsford, including Air Canada, Air Canada Tango, Air Canada Jazz, Air North, Canada 3000, Central Mountain Air, Helijet, Jetsgo, Signature Vacations, Zoom Airlines, Harmony Airways, Peace Air and ZIP Air.
• In September 1984 Pope John Paul II held an open-air mass for over 200,000 people at the airport.
• Abbotsford International Airport handled 475,223 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is Blaine Municipal Airport (BWS), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) W of YXX.
• Abbotsford became a jet passenger airport in June 1997 with the start of scheduled service to Alberta by WestJet.
• The furthest airport from Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,682 miles (17,191 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• In 2012, YXX was Canada's 15th busiest airport by aircraft movements, with 108,545 movements, 503,693 passengers passed through Abbotsford International Airport in 2008.