Nonstop flight route between Lagos, Nigeria and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,305 miles (or 13,365 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 Murtala Muhammed 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 Murtala Muhammed 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS):

• Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) has 2 runways.
• The airport at Ikeja near Lagos was built during World War II.
• The airport includes the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
• Because of Murtala Muhammed International Airport's relatively low elevation of 135 feet, planes can take off or land at Murtala Muhammed 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.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport handled 1,006,646 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Funafuti International Airport (FUN), which is nearly antipodal to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (meaning Murtala Muhammed International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Funafuti International Airport), and is located 12,124 miles (19,511 kilometers) away in Funafuti, Tuvalu.
• The closest airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport (COO), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) WSW of LOS.
• Recent years have seen substantial improvements at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
• In 2009, the airport served 5,644,572 passengers.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• 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.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• 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.
• In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".