Nonstop flight route between Neiva, Colombia and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Benito Salas Airport (NVA), Neiva, Colombia and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,529 miles (or 8,897 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 Benito Salas Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base, 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 Benito Salas Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base. 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 Benito Salas Airport (NVA):

• The closest airport to Benito Salas Airport (NVA) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 85 miles (138 kilometers) WNW of NVA.
• The furthest airport from Benito Salas Airport (NVA) is Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II) (PLM), which is nearly antipodal to Benito Salas Airport (meaning Benito Salas Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II)), and is located 12,433 miles (20,009 kilometers) away in Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia.
• In addition to being known as "Benito Salas Airport", another name for NVA is "Aeropuerto Benito Salas".
• Benito Salas Airport (NVA) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• On 22 September 1995, a Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control aircraft with 22 USAF personnel and two Canadian air crew members crashed after ingesting a flock of Canada Geese, killing all on board.
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Command, Alaskan NORAD Region, Joint Task Force-Alaska, Eleventh Air Force, the 673d Air Base Wing, the 3rd Wing, the 176th Wing and other Tenant Units.
• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.
• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.