Nonstop flight route between Kingston, Jamaica and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), Kingston, Jamaica and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,574 miles (or 7,360 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 Norman Manley International Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base, 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 Norman Manley International Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base. 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 Norman Manley International Airport (KIN):

• Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The architect / engineer for the designs are Llewelyn Davies, Jabobs Consultancy & Leading Edge Aviation Planning Professionals Limited, in conjunction with Peter Jervis and Associates Limited and Grace Ashley and Associates.
• Phase 1A commenced planning in 2004 and was completed in 2007, at an estimated cost of $80M.
• Jamaica has always had a vibrant civil aviation industry with the first flight reported in the island on 21 December 1911.
• The closest airport to Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) is Tinson Pen Aerodrome (KTP), which is located only 4 miles (7 kilometers) NNW of KIN.
• Because of Norman Manley International Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Norman Manley 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 Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is located 11,894 miles (19,141 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• Phase 2, which is the final phase of the project, is to commence in 2013 and end in 2022.
• Norman Manley International Airport handled 1,714,710 passengers last year.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• Following World War II, Elmendorf assumed an increasing role in the defense of North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War.
• The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.