Nonstop flight route between Lagos, Nigeria and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,071 miles (or 4,942 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component, 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component. 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS):

• At one time Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House on the airport property.
• The furthest airport from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Funafuti International Airport (FUN), which is nearly antipodal to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (meaning Murtala Muhammed International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Funafuti International Airport), and is located 12,124 miles (19,511 kilometers) away in Funafuti, Tuvalu.
• The closest airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport (COO), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) WSW of LOS.
• Because of Murtala Muhammed International Airport's relatively low elevation of 135 feet, planes can take off or land at Murtala Muhammed 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.
• Originally known as Lagos International Airport, it was renamed in the mid 1970s, during construction of the new international terminal, after a former Nigerian military head of state Murtala Muhammed.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) has 2 runways.
• In 2009, the airport served 5,644,572 passengers.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport handled 1,006,646 passengers last year.

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.
• 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.
• 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 E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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).
• 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.
• The fleet of E-3's has remained in operation since the Cold War and has adapted its mission to emerging security threats, primarily in European airspace.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.