Nonstop flight route between Ataq, Yemen and Spokane, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ataq Airport (AXK), Ataq, Yemen and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,036 miles (or 12,932 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 Ataq Airport and Fairchild 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 Ataq Airport and Fairchild 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 Ataq Airport (AXK):

• The furthest airport from Ataq Airport (AXK) is Pukarua Airport (PUK), which is nearly antipodal to Ataq Airport (meaning Ataq Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pukarua Airport), and is located 12,074 miles (19,431 kilometers) away in Pukarua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Ataq Airport (AXK) is Beihan Airport (BHN), which is located 76 miles (122 kilometers) WNW of AXK.
• Ataq Airport (AXK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• On 15 March 1966, the 336th Combat Crew Training Group was established at Fairchild.
• Fairchild is home to a wide variety of units and missions.
• Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, a total of 560 base personnel deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 to March 1991.
• Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force Base/Station has been a key part of the United States' defense strategy—from World War II repair depot, to Strategic Air Command bomber wing during the Cold War, to Air Mobility Command air refueling wing during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
• In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".
• 7 December 1993 marked the beginning of a significant change in the mission of Fairchild when the B-52s were transferred to another ACC base while the KC-135s, now assigned to the newly established Air Mobility Command would remain.
• In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
• The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• As military operations in Vietnam escalated in the mid-1960s, the demand for air refueling increased.
• The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.