Nonstop flight route between Roanoke, Virginia, United States and Abemama Atoll, Kiribati:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), Roanoke, Virginia, United States and Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA), Abemama Atoll, Kiribati would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,083 miles (or 11,398 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 Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport and Abemama Atoll 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 Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport and Abemama Atoll 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 Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA):

• Shortly after it departed from Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina, on July 19, 1967, Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 collided with a twin-engine Cessna 310 on approach to Asheville.
• The closest airport to Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) is Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport (BCB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) WSW of ROA.
• In the time since the initial commercial service to Roanoke commenced in 1933, various airlines have offered non-stop service to and from Roanoke.
• The furthest airport from Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,559 miles (18,603 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) has 2 runways.
• When facilities reached their maximum capacity, the need for upgrades became necessary for the airport to continue to grow.
• In addition to being known as "Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport", another name for ROA is "Woodrum Field".
• The expansion also resulted in the creation of a tunnel beneath Runway 06/24 along Virginia State Route 118.

Facts about Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA):

• The furthest airport from Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) is Cape Palmas Airport (CPA), which is nearly antipodal to Abemama Atoll Airport (meaning Abemama Atoll Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cape Palmas Airport), and is located 12,084 miles (19,448 kilometers) away in Cape Palmas, Liberia.
• In March 1944, the USAAF combat units moved west into the Marshalls, and Abemama became a transport hub for the 9th Troop Carrier Squadron until August.
• Abemama Atoll Airport, often abbreviated Abemama Airport, is the airport serving Abemama, Kiribati.
• The closest airport to Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) is Aranuka Airport (AAK), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) SSW of AEA.
• Because of Abemama Atoll Airport's relatively low elevation of 8 feet, planes can take off or land at Abemama Atoll 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.
• Abemama Airport was originally built in late 1943 by the United States Navy Seabees for the United States Army Air Forces.