Nonstop flight route between Koror, Palau and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR), Koror, Palau and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,168 miles (or 16,364 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 Roman Tmetuchl International Airport and Mercedita 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 Roman Tmetuchl International Airport and Mercedita 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 Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR):

• Because of Roman Tmetuchl International Airport's relatively low elevation of 176 feet, planes can take off or land at Roman Tmetuchl 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.
• A resolution adopted by the Senate of Palau in May 2006 renamed Palau International Airport as the Roman Tmetuchl International Airport, in honor of late local politician and businessman Roman Tmetuchl.
• Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR) is Yap International Airport (YAP), which is located 283 miles (456 kilometers) ENE of ROR.
• The furthest airport from Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR) is Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP), which is nearly antipodal to Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (meaning Roman Tmetuchl International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport), and is located 12,250 miles (19,714 kilometers) away in Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil.

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• During 2007, more passengers passed through the airport than the population of the entire city of Ponce itself.
• The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet long by 50 feet wide.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• In early 2010, members of the Ponce Chamber of Commerce strongly criticized the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and its director Alvaro Pilar Villagran after failure to execute on a legally binding agreement of November 2008, whereby the Ports Authority agreed to an investment of $8 million to build an airport drainage system needed as part of any additional expansion work.