Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Kathmandu, Nepal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), Kathmandu, Nepal would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,983 miles (or 11,238 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and Tribhuvan 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and Tribhuvan 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• During the International Geophysical Year 1957–1958, and subsequently through 1962 the 62d TCW supported scientific stations in the Arctic Ocean by airlanding and airdropping supplies on the drifting ice.
• Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
• The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
• In 1940 McChord Field became the headquarters of the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District, with a mission for the defense of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Great Plains regions of the United States.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
• In 1945 McChord was designated as a permanent station by the Army Air Forces.

Facts about Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM):

• Because of Tribhuvan International Airport's high elevation of 4,390 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KTM. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KTM a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) currently has only 1 runway.
• Radisson Hotel Kathmandu operates an executive lounge for first and business class passengers for some airlines and Thai Airways International operates a business lounge for its business-class passengers, as well as Star Alliance Gold card holders.
• In addition to being known as "Tribhuvan International Airport", another name for KTM is "त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल".
• The airport began as Gauchaur Airport, named after the area of Kathmandu where it was situated.
• The closest airport to Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is Ramechhap Airport (RHP), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) ESE of KTM.
• Tribhuvan International Airport handled 3,405,015 passengers last year.
• The airport is now again connected to Europe with service by Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, after a long gap without service to Europe when Royal Nepal ended their flights to Frankfurt and London in 2001.
• The furthest airport from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,530 miles (18,556 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.