Nonstop flight route between Riga, Latvia and Phoenix, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Riga International Airport (RIX), Riga, Latvia and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,686 miles (or 9,150 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 Riga International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor 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 Riga International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor 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 Riga International Airport (RIX):

• Busiest airports by passenger traffic in the Baltic States
• Because of Riga International Airport's relatively low elevation of 36 feet, planes can take off or land at Riga 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 furthest airport from Riga International Airport (RIX) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,169 miles (17,975 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The airport was built in 1973 as an alternative to Spilve Airport, which had become outdated.
• In addition to being known as "Riga International Airport", another name for RIX is "Starptautiskā lidosta “Rīga”".
• As the Latvian government may be backing out of the state-financed plan to build the 20 million passenger capable terminal, airBaltic is now planning, by 2014, to build for its own exclusive use a second terminal which can handle 40 planes and 5000 passengers per hour, equivalent to about 7.5 million passengers per year, located next to the current terminal, while leaving the current terminal for all other airlines to use.
• Riga International Airport (RIX) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Riga International Airport (RIX) is Šiauliai International Airport (SQQ), which is located 74 miles (120 kilometers) SSW of RIX.

Facts about Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX):

• In October 1989 ground was broken for Terminal 4, the largest terminal.
• In the meantime Southwest Airlines arrived at Phoenix in January 1982 with thirteen daily flights to twelve cities.
• The airport has over 120 aircraft gates in three Terminals.
• The closest airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is Scottsdale Airport (SCF), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) NNE of PHX.
• The furthest airport from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,450 miles (18,427 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In 2012, the airport served 40,448,932 passengers, making it one of the top 10 busiest in the United States by passenger count.
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) has 3 runways.
• Sky Harbor was the fourth airport built in Phoenix.
• The 880,000 square-feet, $35 million Terminal 3, designed by DWL Architects + Planners, Inc., broke ground in January 1977 opened in October 1979 and has 17 gates, separated into two concourses by a central building outside of security.