Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to PLS:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- PLS Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about PLS
- 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 PLS
- List of Nearest Airports to PLS
- Map of Furthest Airports from PLS
- List of Furthest Airports from PLS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Providenciales International Airport (PLS), Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,561 miles (or 7,339 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 Providenciales 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 Providenciales International 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: | PLS / MBPV |
Airport Name: | Providenciales International Airport |
Location: | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands |
GPS Coordinates: | 21°46'24"N by 72°15'56"W |
Operator/Owner: | Providenciales Airport Company |
Elevation: | 15 feet (5 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from PLS |
More Information: | PLS Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (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 directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Providenciales International Airport (PLS):
- The closest airport to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) is North Caicos Airport (NCA), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) ENE of PLS.
- Providenciales International Airport (PLS) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Providenciales International Airport's relatively low elevation of 15 feet, planes can take off or land at Providenciales 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.
- The furthest airport from Providenciales International Airport (PLS) is RAAF Learmonth (LEA), which is nearly antipodal to Providenciales International Airport (meaning Providenciales International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAAF Learmonth), and is located 12,029 miles (19,358 kilometers) away in Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia.