Nonstop flight route between Jackson, Mississippi, United States and Ratmalana, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN), Jackson, Mississippi, United States and Ratmalana Airport (RML), Ratmalana, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,653 miles (or 15,536 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 Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and Ratmalana 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 Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and Ratmalana 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 Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN):

• The 172d Airlift Wing of the Mississippi Air National Guard has also maintained an Air National Guard base on the airport since 1963, having relocated that year from nearby Hawkins Field.
• The airport has an L-shaped terminal, with the tarmac extending north.
• Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,979 miles (17,669 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) is Hawkins Field (HKS), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of JAN.
• What is now Jackson–Evers International Airport opened in 1963, a new airport to replace Hawkins Field, Jackson's airport since 1928.
• Because of Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport's relatively low elevation of 346 feet, planes can take off or land at Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers 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.

Facts about Ratmalana Airport (RML):

• In the 1950s, BOAC flew Canadair Argonauts from Ratmalana to London.
• The furthest airport from Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,628 miles (18,713 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• The airport is much closer to the Colombo city center compared to the larger Bandaranaike International Airport which is 32 km north of the city.
• The closest airport to Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) N of RML.
• Ratmalana Airport (RML) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Ratmalana Airport", another name for RML is "රත්මලාන ගුවන්තොටුපළஇரத்மலானை விமான நிலைய".
• During the Second World War it was used as a Royal Air Force base, with No 30 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from there against Japanese Navy aircraft.
• Because of Ratmalana Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Ratmalana 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.