Nonstop flight route between Lukla, Nepal and Soldotna, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA), Lukla, Nepal and Soldotna Airport (SXQ), Soldotna, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,536 miles (or 8,909 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 Tenzing-Hillary Airport and Soldotna 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 Tenzing-Hillary Airport and Soldotna 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 Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA):

• Lukla flights or flights to Tenzing-Hillary airport start in the early morning to mid day.
• The furthest airport from Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,446 miles (18,421 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Because of Tenzing-Hillary Airport's high elevation of 9,383 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at LUA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make LUA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) is Phaplu Airport (PPL), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SW of LUA.
• Tenzing-Hillary Airport, also known as Lukla Airport, is a small airport in the town of Lukla, in Khumbu, Solukhumbu district, Sagarmatha zone, eastern Nepal.
• In January 2008 the airport was renamed in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest and also to mark their efforts in the construction of this airport.
• In addition to being known as "Tenzing-Hillary Airport", another name for LUA is "तेन्जिङ हिलारी विमानस्थल".
• The airport is popular because Lukla is the place where most people start the climb to Mount Everest Base Camp.

Facts about Soldotna Airport (SXQ):

• The closest airport to Soldotna Airport (SXQ) is Kenai Municipal Airport (ENA), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) NW of SXQ.
• Soldotna Airport (SXQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport covers an area of 426 acres at an elevation of 113 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of Soldotna Airport's relatively low elevation of 113 feet, planes can take off or land at Soldotna 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 Soldotna Airport (SXQ) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,600 miles (17,059 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• On July 7, 2013, an air taxi crashed, killing all ten people on board.