Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Pyongyang, North Korea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ), Pyongyang, North Korea would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,218 miles (or 8,398 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 Pyongyang Sunan 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Pyongyang Sunan 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• 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 E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E­3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
• The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
• 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.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.

Facts about Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ):

• Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ) has 2 runways.
• Il-76, Tu-204, Il-62 and Tu-154 of Air Koryo at FNJ
• In addition to being known as "Pyongyang Sunan International Airport", other names for FNJ include "평양순안국제공항" and "P'yŏngyang Sunan Kukche Konghang".
• In July 2011, the new international terminal at Sunan Airport was completed.
• The furthest airport from Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ) is Astor Piazzolla International Airport (MDQ), which is nearly antipodal to Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (meaning Pyongyang Sunan International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Astor Piazzolla International Airport), and is located 12,240 miles (19,699 kilometers) away in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
• The closest airport to Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ) is Incheon International Airport (ICN), which is located 129 miles (207 kilometers) SSE of FNJ.
• Because of Pyongyang Sunan International Airport's relatively low elevation of 117 feet, planes can take off or land at Pyongyang Sunan 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.