Nonstop flight route between Ikaria, Greece and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK), Ikaria, Greece and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,898 miles (or 9,492 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 Ikaria Island National 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 Ikaria Island National 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 Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK):

• Because of Ikaria Island National Airport's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Ikaria Island National 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.
• Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,374 miles (18,305 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Ikaria Island National Airport", another name for JIK is "Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Ικαρίας".
• The closest airport to Ikaria Island National Airport (JIK) is Samos International Airport "Aristarchos of Samos" (SMI), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) E of JIK.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• In August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
• 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.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.