Nonstop flight route between Kingston, Jamaica and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), Kingston, Jamaica and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,963 miles (or 4,768 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 Castle 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 Norman Manley International Airport and Castle 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 Norman Manley International Airport (KIN):

• Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) currently has only 1 runway.
• Norman Manley International Airport, formerly Palisadoes Airport, is an international airport serving Kingston, Jamaica.
• 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.
• Phase 2, which is the final phase of the project, is to commence in 2013 and end in 2022.
• 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.
• The airport features in the first James Bond movie, Dr No.
• Norman Manley International Airport handled 1,714,710 passengers last year.
• Phase 1A commenced planning in 2004 and was completed in 2007, at an estimated cost of $80M.
• 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.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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.