Nonstop flight route between Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and Akutan, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gander International Airport (YQX), Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA), Akutan, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,273 miles (or 6,877 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 Gander International Airport and Akutan Seaplane 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 Gander International Airport and Akutan Seaplane 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 Gander International Airport (YQX):

• A major reason that Gander received so much traffic was partly due to its ability to handle large aircraft, but primarily because Transport Canada and Nav Canada instructed pilots coming from Europe to avoid the airports in major urban centres of Central Canada, like Lester B.
• The Royal Canadian Navy also established Naval Radio Station Gander at the airfield, using the station as a listening post to detect the transmissions and location of enemy submarines and warships.
• The closest airport to Gander International Airport (YQX) is St. John's International Airport (YYT), which is located 124 miles (199 kilometers) SE of YQX.
• Gander International Airport (YQX) has 2 runways.
• Runway 04/22 was extended from 8,400 to 10,500 ft in 1971.
• The furthest airport from Gander International Airport (YQX) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,395 miles (18,338 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Gander International Airport's relatively low elevation of 496 feet, planes can take off or land at Gander 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.
• With the advent of jets with longer range in the 1960s most flights no longer needed to refuel.

Facts about Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA):

• The furthest airport from Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 11,027 miles (17,747 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) is Unalaska Airport (DUT), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) WSW of KQA.
• In addition to being known as "Akutan Seaplane Base", another name for KQA is "was KQA".
• Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Akutan Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Akutan Seaplane Base 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.