Nonstop flight route between Fairbanks, Alaska, United States and Sfax, Tunisia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States and Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA), Sfax, Tunisia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,465 miles (or 8,795 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 Eielson Air Force Base and Sfax–Thyna 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 Eielson Air Force Base and Sfax–Thyna 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 Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• On 1 December 1947 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers arrived at 26-Mile Airfield with the deployment of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
• In July 1960, the Strategic Air Command stationed the 4157th Combat Support Group at Eielson.
• The furthest airport from Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,295 miles (16,568 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• For the next 34 years, the 5010th served as host-unit at Eielson.
• On 7 June 1943, the Western Defense Command ordered construction of a new airfield near present-day Fort Wainwright, then an Army airfield named after Major Arthur Ladd.
• In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• The host unit at Eielson is the 354th Fighter Wing assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force.
• The closest airport to Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NW of EIL.
• Eielson AFB was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field.

Facts about Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA):

• During World War II, the airport was known as Sfax Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force during the North African Campaign.
• With a capacity of 200,000 passengers per year, the current terminal covers 2,000 m2.
• From 2011 the airport is main hub and headquarters for Syphax Airlines.
• The closest airport to Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Djerba–Zarzis International Airport (DJE), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) S of SFA.
• Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,702 miles (18,833 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Sfax–Thyna International Airport's relatively low elevation of 85 feet, planes can take off or land at Sfax–Thyna 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sfax–Thyna International Airport", other names for SFA include "Aéroport International de Sfax–Thyna" and "مطار صفاقس الدولي".