Nonstop flight route between Alghero, Sardinia, Italy and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO), Alghero, Sardinia, Italy and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,932 miles (or 9,546 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 Alghero-Fertilia Airport and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Alghero-Fertilia Airport and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO):

• In addition to being known as "Alghero-Fertilia Airport", another name for AHO is "Aeroporto di Alghero-Fertilia".
• Alghero-Fertilia Airport handled 1,518,870 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Alghero-Fertilia Airport (meaning Alghero-Fertilia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,109 miles (19,488 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) currently has only 1 runway.
• At the end of February 2006 there was a disagreement between the municipalities of Sassari and Alghero concerning the name of the airport and the international aviation authorities) remains "Alghero-Fertilia", although the intention of the airport management company is to change the name to "Alghero-Riviera del Corallo".
• The closest airport to Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) is Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB), which is located 67 miles (107 kilometers) ENE of AHO.
• The airport is operated by SO.GE.A.AL.
• On 23 November 2007 management of the airport was transferred to SO.GE.A.AL.
• Because of Alghero-Fertilia Airport's relatively low elevation of 87 feet, planes can take off or land at Alghero-Fertilia 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.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• Because of Eareckson Air Station's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Eareckson Air Station 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 Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,668 miles (17,168 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.