Nonstop flight route between Kitale, Kenya and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kitale Airport (KTL), Kitale, Kenya and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,043 miles (or 12,943 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 Kitale 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 Kitale 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 Kitale Airport (KTL):

• Kitale Airport is a small airport that serves the town of Kitale and surrounding communities.
• The closest airport to Kitale Airport (KTL) is Eldoret International Airport (EDL), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) SSE of KTL.
• The furthest airport from Kitale Airport (KTL) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,701 miles (18,832 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Because of Kitale Airport's high elevation of 6,070 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KTL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KTL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Kitale Airport (KTL) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• On 1 July 1994, the 11th Air Control Wing was inactivated and the 673d ABG was reassigned to Eleventh Air Force.
• 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.
• 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 is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.