Nonstop flight route between Ponce, Puerto Rico and Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico and Lethbridge Airport (YQL), Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,356 miles (or 5,402 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 Mercedita Airport and Lethbridge 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 Mercedita Airport and Lethbridge 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 Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Puerto Rico Ports Authority recently announced an investment of 7 million dollars to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field no longer met the newer and more stringent minimum airport safety requirements, and airport operations were suspended.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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 Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to 8,000 ft to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.
• In February 2009, Ponce mayor María Meléndez sought transfer of the airport from the Puerto Rico central government to the Ponce Municipal government amidst discontent with the bureaucracy at the central government that could be avoided if the airport was locally managed.
• On June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport.

Facts about Lethbridge Airport (YQL):

• The furthest airport from Lethbridge Airport (YQL) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,420 miles (16,770 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Originally known as Kenyon Field, this aerodrome began passenger services in October 1938, but officially opened in June 1939.
• Lethbridge County assumed ownership of the airport on 1 January 1997, and it was subsequently named the Lethbridge County Airport.
• Lethbridge Airport (YQL) has 2 runways.
• The RCAF left Lethbridge in 1944.
• Between 50 and 60 percent of typical annual aircraft movements are flight training and scheduled air carrier services.
• The closest airport to Lethbridge Airport (YQL) is Pincher Creek Airport (WPC), which is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) W of YQL.
• The airport is a Canadian Air Transport Security Authority Designated Aerodrome, thus providing full passenger screening.
• From 1939–1948, Lethbridge operated as Western Canada's primary airline hub.