Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Trieste, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS), Trieste, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 491 miles (or 791 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located in the Federal Republic of Germany, near the village of Teveren and six kilometers west of the town of Geilenkirchen.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• 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 Component operates seventeen Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft all of which are based on the Boeing 707 airframe Trainer Cargo Aircraft but which have since been retired).
• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• 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.
• 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.
• In January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• 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.

Facts about Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS):

• The closest airport to Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS) is Portorož Airport (POW), which is located 25 miles (41 kilometers) SSE of TRS.
• Because of Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport's relatively low elevation of 39 feet, planes can take off or land at Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia 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 Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,931 miles (19,201 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport (TRS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The first official documents citing the airfield of Ronchi dei Legionari date back to 30 November 1935, when the 4th Fighter Wing of the Royal Italian Air Force was based here.
• Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport handled 853,285 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Trieste – Friuli Venezia Giulia Airport", other names for TRS include "Friuli Venezia Giulia "Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà" Airport", "Aeroporto di Trieste–Friuli Venezia Giulia" and "Ronchi dei Legionari Airport".