Nonstop flight route between Kisumu, Kenya and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from KIS to SYA:
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- About this route
- KIS Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about KIS
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to KIS
- List of Nearest Airports to KIS
- Map of Furthest Airports from KIS
- List of Furthest Airports from KIS
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Kisumu International Airport (KIS), Kisumu, Kenya and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,115 miles (or 13,061 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 Kisumu 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 Kisumu 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | KIS / HKKI |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Kisumu, Kenya |
| GPS Coordinates: | 0°5'9"S by 34°43'44"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Kenya Airports Authority |
| Airport Type: | Civil |
| Elevation: | 3796 feet (1,157 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from KIS |
| More Information: | KIS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
| More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Facts about Kisumu International Airport (KIS):
- In addition to being known as "Kisumu International Airport", another name for KIS is "KIS Main Terminal".
- Kisumu International Airport (KIS) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Kisumu International Airport (KIS) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,631 miles (18,719 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
- The closest airport to Kisumu International Airport (KIS) is Kericho Airport (KEY), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) ESE of KIS.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
- It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
- 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 addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
- The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
- 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.
