Nonstop flight route between Asosa, Ethiopia and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Asosa Airport (ASO), Asosa, Ethiopia and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,489 miles (or 12,052 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 Asosa 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 Asosa 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 Asosa Airport (ASO):

• The closest airport to Asosa Airport (ASO) is Beica Airport (BEI), which is located 44 miles (70 kilometers) S of ASO.
• Asosa Airport (ASO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Asosa Airport (ASO) is Manihi Airport (XMH), which is nearly antipodal to Asosa Airport (meaning Asosa Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Manihi Airport), and is located 12,128 miles (19,518 kilometers) away in Manihi, French Polynesia.
• Because of Asosa Airport's high elevation of 5,121 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ASO. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ASO a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• 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.