Nonstop flight route between Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GRR to FAI:
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- About this route
- GRR Airport Information
- FAI Airport Information
- Facts about GRR
- Facts about FAI
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRR
- List of Nearest Airports to GRR
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRR
- List of Furthest Airports from GRR
- Map of Nearest Airports to FAI
- List of Nearest Airports to FAI
- Map of Furthest Airports from FAI
- List of Furthest Airports from FAI
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States and Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,797 miles (or 4,502 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 Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Fairbanks 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 Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Fairbanks 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: | GRR / KGRR |
Airport Name: | Gerald R. Ford International Airport |
Location: | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 42°52'50"N by 85°31'22"W |
Area Served: | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
Operator/Owner: | Kent County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 794 feet (242 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from GRR |
More Information: | GRR Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | FAI / PAFA |
Airport Name: | Fairbanks International Airport |
Location: | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 64°48'53"N by 147°51'23"W |
Area Served: | Fairbanks, Alaska |
Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 434 feet (132 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from FAI |
More Information: | FAI Maps & Info |
Facts about Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR):
- Because of Gerald R. Ford International Airport's relatively low elevation of 794 feet, planes can take off or land at Gerald R. Ford 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 airport is at the intersection of 44th Street and Patterson Avenue.
- The furthest airport from Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,165 miles (17,969 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- In April 2012 Frontier Airlines ended flights from Grand Rapids to Milwaukee.
- In 2004 the airport served more than 2 million passengers for the first time in a year.
- Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) has 3 runways.
- Route 17, Woodland/Airport, travels between the airport and Woodland Mall seven days a week.
- An outdoor viewing area on Kraft Avenue north of 52nd Street has picnic tables, litter barrels, and a portable toilet.
- In 1997 the new 8,500-foot runway 17/35 was added to allow the airport to continue operations during the $32 million reconstruction of runway 8R/26L, completed in 2001.
- The closest airport to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is Park Township Airport (HLM), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) W of GRR.
Facts about Fairbanks International Airport (FAI):
- Fairbanks International Airport covers an area of 3,470 acres at an elevation of 439 feet above mean sea level.
- Because of Fairbanks International Airport's relatively low elevation of 434 feet, planes can take off or land at Fairbanks 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.
- Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) has 4 runways.
- The furthest airport from Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,289 miles (16,558 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- Pan Am eventually used Fairbanks as a stopover for transpacific service from New York and Seattle to Tokyo starting in September 1969.
- The closest airport to Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) ENE of FAI.