Nonstop flight route between Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vigo Airport (VGO), Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,963 miles (or 7,987 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 Vigo 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 Vigo 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 Vigo Airport (VGO):

• Vigo Airport handled 828,725 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Vigo Airport (VGO) is Greymouth Airport (GMN), which is nearly antipodal to Vigo Airport (meaning Vigo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Greymouth Airport), and is located 12,418 miles (19,985 kilometers) away in Greymouth, New Zealand.
• The neighbouring Santiago de Compostela Airport, also medium-sized, opened its first regular route with the capital Madrid in 1937.
• Vigo Airport is 8 km east from the centre of Vigo, and is situated in the municipalities of Redondela, Vigo and Mos, Spain.
• The closest airport to Vigo Airport (VGO) is Braga Airport (BGZ), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) SSE of VGO.
• After meeting in the summer of 2008 that would expand the airport terminal Vigo, and after more than a year of delays and conflicting information and would eventually expand the terminal, 24 February 2010, the Board of Directors approved at its meeting Aena the tendering of the works to expand the terminal with a budget of 59,393,578.76 euros.
• By 1927 the Spanish Government became aware of the necessity of having a customs airport in Galicia, and as a first step the harbour of Vigo was conditioned for hidroaviation in March 1929 and at the same time a "maritime airport" was built and started operations at nearby Cesantes beach.
• Vigo Airport (VGO) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Vigo Airport's relatively low elevation of 855 feet, planes can take off or land at Vigo 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 addition to being known as "Vigo Airport", other names for VGO include "Aeropuerto de Vigo" and "Aeroporto de Vigo".
• In late May 2007, the Board of Aena awarded the construction of the "Vehicle Parking Building, Construction and Technical Block Vigo airport, Dragados SA for an amount of 38,266,145 euros and an execution period of 28 months.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Command, Alaskan NORAD Region, Joint Task Force-Alaska, Eleventh Air Force, the 673d Air Base Wing, the 3rd Wing, the 176th Wing and other Tenant Units.
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
• The 1980s witnessed a period of growth and modernization of Elmendorf AFB.
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.
• Despite a diminished number of personnel and aircraft, a turning point in Elmendorf's history occurred in 1970 with the arrival of the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron in June 1970 from MacDill AFB, Florida.