Nonstop flight route between Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,392 miles (or 5,459 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 Punta Cana International Airport and Castle 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 Punta Cana International Airport and Castle 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 Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ):

• The furthest airport from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Punta Cana International Airport (meaning Punta Cana International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,145 miles (19,546 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• In the Caribbean, Punta Cana International Airport is the third busiest airport, surpassed only by Cancun International Airport, in Cancun, Mexico, and by Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which are the first and the second busiest airports in the region, respectively.
• Punta Cana's airport is the leading point of entry in number of arriving passengers in the Dominican Republic.
• Cancun International Airport, Havana International Airport, and Punta Cana International Airport are the only airports in Latin America with direct flights to Russia.
• Punta Cana International Airport handled 5,163,426 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Punta Cana International Airport", another name for PUJ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Punta Cana".
• Because of Punta Cana International Airport's relatively low elevation of 40 feet, planes can take off or land at Punta Cana 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.
• Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is La Romana International Airport (LRM), which is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) WSW of PUJ.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• In 2004, recommendations were made to relocate the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard and its associated HC-130, MC-130 and HH-60 aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield to the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Airport.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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.