Nonstop flight route between Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Cancún International Airport (CUN), Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,433 miles (or 8,744 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 Cancún 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 Cancún 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 Cancún International Airport (CUN):

• Asur announced an expansion of terminal 2 which will be completed by 2013, and terminal 3 will also be expanded after the completion of terminal 2.
• The closest airport to Cancún International Airport (CUN) is Cozumel International Airport (CZM), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) S of CUN.
• The airport has been expanding as it has become one of the most important international airports in the country.
• In addition to being known as "Cancún International Airport", another name for CUN is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún".
• The furthest airport from Cancún International Airport (CUN) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,778 miles (18,955 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The airport has three terminals, two of which are currently in use, with Terminal 1 scheduled for remodeling.
• Because of Cancún International Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Cancún 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.
• Cancún International Airport (CUN) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.