Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Buffalo, New York, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Merrill Field (MRI), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,086 miles (or 4,967 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 Buffalo Niagara International 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 Buffalo Niagara International 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 Merrill Field (MRI):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• This was the first official airport in Anchorage when it opened in 1930.
• Merrill Field (MRI) has 3 runways.

Facts about Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF):

• Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) has 2 runways.
• The Buffalo Municipal Airport opened in 1926 on former farmland, making it one of the oldest public airports in the country.
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport handled 5,118,000 passengers last year.
• Southwest Airlines, which recently merged and absorbed AirTran Airways into its system, remains the busiest airline at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, handling 32 percent of the outbound flights.
• The closest airport to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) is Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) NW of BUF.
• Because of Buffalo Niagara International Airport's relatively low elevation of 728 feet, planes can take off or land at Buffalo Niagara 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.
• This is all part of the recent $45 million construction project which includes the addition of more baggage conveyors and three new security gates.
• The furthest airport from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,465 miles (18,452 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• US Airways operates a US Airways Club near Gate 6.