Nonstop flight route between Cartagena, Colombia and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), Cartagena, Colombia and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,469 miles (or 10,411 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 Rafael Núñez International 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 Rafael Núñez International 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 Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG):

• Rafael Núñez International Airport is an airport located in the city of Cartagena, Colombia.
• The closest airport to Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), which is located 59 miles (94 kilometers) ENE of CTG.
• In addition to being known as "Rafael Núñez International Airport", another name for CTG is "Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Núñez".
• The airport is managed since 1996 by the Society Caribbean Airports S.A.
• Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) currently has only 1 runway.
• During 1993 and 1994 in developing the principles established in the new Constitution of 1991 to improve governance, the Law 105 of 1993 and the national government of President Cesar Gaviria, by Decree 1647 of 994, arranged decentralization airports by the Civil Aeronautics and set the parameters for this process forward.
• Because of Rafael Núñez International Airport's relatively low elevation of 4 feet, planes can take off or land at Rafael Núñez 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.
• The furthest airport from Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Rafael Núñez International Airport (meaning Rafael Núñez International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,355 miles (19,883 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• Today, the Rafael Nunez International Airport is the fourth largest airport in the country, and one of the largest in the Caribbean region.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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 July 1973, Raytheon won a contract to build a system called COBRA DANE on Shemya.
• 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.