Nonstop flight route between Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU), Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,428 miles (or 10,346 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU):

• SSK II airport development was initialized in June 2013 and is expected to be completed in 2014.
• Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport handled 392,399 passengers last year.
• By end of June 2011, a new terminal spanning 17,000 square meters and a more spacious aircraft apron which can accommodate 10 wide-body aircraft, twice the capacity of the old apron will be operated.
• The furthest airport from Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), which is nearly antipodal to Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (meaning Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mariscal Sucre International Airport), and is located 12,409 miles (19,971 kilometers) away in Quito, Ecuador.
• The closest airport to Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) is Pinang Kampai Airport (DUM), which is located 79 miles (128 kilometers) N of PKU.
• Because of Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport's relatively low elevation of 104 feet, planes can take off or land at Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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.
• The newly built airport has been equipped by some shopping outlets and venues such as souvenir stands, fashion store, F&B outlets, food court, grocery shops and many more.
• The airport of Sultan Syarif Kasim II is Pekanbaru's historical airport since the period of Dutch colonies as well as independence era.
• Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport", other names for PKU include "Bandar Udara Internasional Sultan Syarif Kasim II" and "بندر اودارا اينترنسيونل سلطان شريف قاسم ٢".

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany.
• 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.
• Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E­3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• 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 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.
• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.