Nonstop flight route between Sukhumi, Georgia and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI), Sukhumi, Georgia and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,217 miles (or 8,397 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 Sukhumi Babushara Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base, 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 Sukhumi Babushara Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base. 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 Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI):

• The closest airport to Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI) is Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) NW of SUI.
• The airport is currently only used for flights to the mountain village of Pskhu and for flights carried out by Russian Air Force.
• The airport was built in the mid-1960s, when the region was part of the Soviet Union.
• Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Sukhumi Babushara Airport, previously known as Sukhumi Dranda Airport, is the main airport of Abkhazia.
• There is another airport in Abkhazia near Gudauta, which serves Russian military troops located there.
• Because of Sukhumi Babushara Airport's relatively low elevation of 53 feet, planes can take off or land at Sukhumi Babushara 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 2006 the government of the Republic of Abkhazia expressed its desire to resume international air traffic in the future, however the facility is not recognized as an international airport by ICAO and flights can only be allowed with the permission of the Georgian government.
• The furthest airport from Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,052 miles (17,786 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• The 1980s witnessed a period of growth and modernization of Elmendorf AFB.
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The strategic importance of Elmendorf AFB was graphically realized during the spring of 1980 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed eight of its F-4Es to Korea to participate in exercise Team Spirit.
• On 28 July 2010, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft practicing for an upcoming airshow crashed into a wooded area within the base, killing all four air crew members.