Nonstop flight route between Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and Battle Creek, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ratmalana Airport (RML), Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL), Battle Creek, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,915 miles (or 14,348 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 Ratmalana Airport and W. K. Kellogg 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 Ratmalana Airport and W. K. Kellogg 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 Ratmalana Airport (RML):

• During the Second World War it was used as a Royal Air Force base, with No 30 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from there against Japanese Navy aircraft.
• Ratmalana Airport (RML) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1934 the State Council of Ceylon made a decision to construct an aerodrome within reach of the capital city of Colombo and decided on Ratmalana as the best site.
• Because of Ratmalana Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Ratmalana 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 Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,628 miles (18,713 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• There are currently 2 terminals at the airport.
• In addition to being known as "Ratmalana Airport", another name for RML is "රත්මලාන ගුවන්තොටුපළஇரத்மலானை விமான நிலைய".
• On 11 August 1952, 3 months after the inaugural service of a passenger jet aircraft, BOAC began its Comet service between Colombo and London.
• The airport is much closer to the Colombo city center compared to the larger Bandaranaike International Airport which is 32 km north of the city.
• In the 1950s, BOAC flew Canadair Argonauts from Ratmalana to London.
• The closest airport to Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) N of RML.

Facts about W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL):

• It addition to general aviation, the airport supports air cargo and corporate flight operations.
• The closest airport to W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL) is Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) WSW of BTL.
• The furthest airport from W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,193 miles (18,013 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of W. K. Kellogg Airport's relatively low elevation of 952 feet, planes can take off or land at W. K. Kellogg 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.
• In May 2010, construction began on a new $7.2 million, 4,100 feet long by 75 feet wide runway parallel to existing runway 5/23.
• W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL) has 3 runways.