Nonstop flight route between Newquay, England, United Kingdom and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY), Newquay, England, United Kingdom and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,309 miles (or 8,545 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 Newquay Cornwall 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 Newquay Cornwall 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 Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY):

• The closest airport to Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY) is Land's End Airport (LEQ), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) SW of NQY.
• The furthest airport from Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is nearly antipodal to Newquay Cornwall Airport (meaning Newquay Cornwall Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dunedin International Airport), and is located 12,055 miles (19,400 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The expansion of the airport has been criticised by a number of environmental groups.
• In addition to being known as "Newquay Cornwall Airport", other names for NQY include "Ayrborth Tewynblustri Kernow" and "EGHQ".
• Because of Newquay Cornwall Airport's relatively low elevation of 390 feet, planes can take off or land at Newquay Cornwall 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.
• Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY) currently has only 1 runway.
• By virtue of a recent Statutory Instrument issued on 22 September 2009, Newquay Airport will, from the coming in force of this instrument on 1 November 2009, be subject to current airport bylaws, as per Section 63 of the Airports Act 1986
• Newquay Cornwall Airport handled 174,891 passengers last year.
• Flying operations at RAF St Mawgan ceased in December 2008.
• The new terminal extension has increased the terminal size by 20%, and was opened in 2006.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.