Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Abemama Atoll, Kiribati:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to AEA:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- AEA Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about AEA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GKE
- List of Nearest Airports to GKE
- Map of Furthest Airports from GKE
- List of Furthest Airports from GKE
- Map of Nearest Airports to AEA
- List of Nearest Airports to AEA
- Map of Furthest Airports from AEA
- List of Furthest Airports from AEA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA), Abemama Atoll, Kiribati would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,810 miles (or 14,179 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Abemama Atoll 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Abemama Atoll Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GKE / ETNG |
Airport Name: | NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component |
Location: | Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
GPS Coordinates: | 50°57'38"N by 6°2'33"E |
Operator/Owner: | NATO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 296 feet (90 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GKE |
More Information: | GKE Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | AEA / NGTB |
Airport Name: | Abemama Atoll Airport |
Location: | Abemama Atoll, Kiribati |
GPS Coordinates: | 0°29'26"N by 173°49'42"E |
Area Served: | Abemama |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 8 feet (2 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from AEA |
More Information: | AEA Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
- The E-3A Component is NATO's first operational flying unit with multinational manning.
- Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
- Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
- Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.
- The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany.
- Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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.
- Major construction on the base initially included a new 3,000-metre runway with a width of 45 metres, as well as aprons and taxiways, a control tower, an Information Technology Wing building, on-base accommodation and major renovation of the four existing hangars.
- The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
Facts about Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA):
- The furthest airport from Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) is Cape Palmas Airport (CPA), which is nearly antipodal to Abemama Atoll Airport (meaning Abemama Atoll Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cape Palmas Airport), and is located 12,084 miles (19,448 kilometers) away in Cape Palmas, Liberia.
- Because of Abemama Atoll Airport's relatively low elevation of 8 feet, planes can take off or land at Abemama Atoll 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 Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) is Aranuka Airport (AAK), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) SSW of AEA.
- In March 1944, the USAAF combat units moved west into the Marshalls, and Abemama became a transport hub for the 9th Troop Carrier Squadron until August.
- The airport is served by Air Kiribati from the international airport at South Tarawa on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.