Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Awaba, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MRI to AWB:
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- About this route
- MRI Airport Information
- AWB Airport Information
- Facts about MRI
- Facts about AWB
- Map of Nearest Airports to MRI
- List of Nearest Airports to MRI
- Map of Furthest Airports from MRI
- List of Furthest Airports from MRI
- Map of Nearest Airports to AWB
- List of Nearest Airports to AWB
- Map of Furthest Airports from AWB
- List of Furthest Airports from AWB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Merrill Field (MRI), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Awaba Airport (AWB), Awaba, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,977 miles (or 9,619 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 Merrill Field and Awaba 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 Merrill Field and Awaba Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MRI / PAMR |
Airport Name: | Merrill Field |
Location: | Anchorage, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 61°12'48"N by 149°50'39"W |
Operator/Owner: | Municipality of Anchorage |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 137 feet (42 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from MRI |
More Information: | MRI Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | AWB / AYAW |
Airport Name: | Awaba Airport |
Location: | Awaba, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 8°0'51"S by 142°45'3"E |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 60 feet (18 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from AWB |
More Information: | AWB Maps & Info |
Facts about Merrill Field (MRI):
- Merrill Field, located on the east end of 5th Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska, was the only airport serving Anchorage until 1951 when the introduction of ever larger and faster commercial aircraft required that an airfield with longer and heavier runways be built.
- Because of Merrill Field's relatively low elevation of 137 feet, planes can take off or land at Merrill Field 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.
- Merrill Field (MRI) has 3 runways.
- The airstrip is still in use today as the primary field for private wheel equipped aircraft in the warmer months and for ski equipped in the winter.
- The offices of the Alaska Dispatch, parent company of the Anchorage Daily News, are located on Merrill Field.
- The closest airport to Merrill Field (MRI) is Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) NNE of MRI.
- The furthest airport from Merrill Field (MRI) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,545 miles (16,970 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Facts about Awaba Airport (AWB):
- Awaba Airport (AWB) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Awaba Airport (AWB) is Sasereme Airport (TDS), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) NNE of AWB.
- Because of Awaba Airport's relatively low elevation of 60 feet, planes can take off or land at Awaba 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 Awaba Airport (AWB) is Parnaíba–Prefeito Dr. João Silva Filho International Airport (PHB), which is located 11,622 miles (18,704 kilometers) away in Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil.