Nonstop flight route between Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Gabès, Tunisia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wake Island Airfield (AWK), Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Gabès - Matmata International Airport (GAE), Gabès, Tunisia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,466 miles (or 13,624 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 Wake Island Airfield and Gabès - Matmata International Airport, 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 Wake Island Airfield and Gabès - Matmata International Airport. 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 Wake Island Airfield (AWK):

• The furthest airport from Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is located 11,652 miles (18,752 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• The first intention to build an air base surfaced in 1935, when Pan American World Airways selected Wake Island as an intermediate support base for their routes to the Far East, especially the Philippines.
• The closest airport to Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is Quoin Hill Airfield (UIQ), which is located 169 miles (272 kilometers) SE of AWK.
• Because of Wake Island Airfield's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Wake Island Airfield 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.
• From 1935 until 1940, when two typhoons swept Wake with resultant extensive damage to the now elaborately developed Pan American facilities, development and use of the base were steady but uneventful.
• On 26 December 1940, implementing the Hepburn Board's recommendations, a pioneer party of 80 men and 2,000 short tons of equipment sailed for Wake Island from Oahu.
• Wake Island Airfield (AWK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Gabès - Matmata International Airport (GAE):

• In addition to being known as "Gabès - Matmata International Airport", other names for GAE include "Aéroport International de Gabés - Matmata" and "مطار قابس مطماطة الدولي".
• The furthest airport from Gabès - Matmata International Airport (GAE) is Gisborne Airport (GIS), which is located 11,690 miles (18,813 kilometers) away in Gisborne, New Zealand.
• Gabès - Matmata International Airport (GAE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Gabès - Matmata International Airport (GAE) is Djerba–Zarzis International Airport (DJE), which is located 50 miles (81 kilometers) ENE of GAE.
• Because of Gabès - Matmata International Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Gabès - Matmata 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.