Nonstop flight route between Ikaria, Greece and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK), Ikaria, Greece and Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,356 miles (or 8,620 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 Ikaria Island National Airport and Eielson 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 Ikaria Island National Airport and Eielson 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 Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK):

• Because of Ikaria Island National Airport's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Ikaria Island National 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.
• The furthest airport from Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,374 miles (18,305 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) is Samos International Airport "Aristarchos of Samos" (SMI), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) E of JIK.
• In addition to being known as "Ikaria Island National Airport", another name for JIK is "Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Ικαρίας".
• Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• The Air Defense Command deployed interceptors to Eielson during the 1960s.
• On 7 June 1943, the Western Defense Command ordered construction of a new airfield near present-day Fort Wainwright, then an Army airfield named after Major Arthur Ladd.
• On 1 December 1947 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers arrived at 26-Mile Airfield with the deployment of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
• The furthest airport from Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,295 miles (16,568 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Until 2007, Eielson was a front line base, deploying fighter and bomber units around the world as well as providing for the defense of Alaska.
• Another change involved the 3rd Fighter Training Squadron, which was replaced by the 353rd Fighter Squadron.
• The closest airport to Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NW of EIL.
• In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• The 375th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, from the 308th Bombardment Group at Tinker AFB Oklahoma, arrived at Eielson on 5 March 1949.