Nonstop flight route between Catania, Italy and Columbus/West Point/Starkville, Mississippi, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY), Catania, Italy and Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR), Columbus/West Point/Starkville, Mississippi, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,502 miles (or 8,855 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella and Golden Triangle Regional Airport, 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella and Golden Triangle Regional Airport. 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY):

• The closest airport to Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) ENE of NSY.
• It also serves as an Italian base for the 41º Stormo Antisom.
• Most permanent party military personnel and families are housed in Marinai, located 2 minutes from NAS II and approximately 10–15 minutes from NAS I.
• In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station Sigonella", other names for NSY include "Base aerea di Sigonella" and "NAS Sigonella".
• When there was no room for expansion at Malta, the U.S.
• The furthest airport from Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,695 miles (18,821 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• On 1 April 2004, the Defense Logistics Agency opened Defense Depot Sigonella Italy on NAS II to serve as a supply base for the Mediterranean.
• When NATO took military intervention to Libya in 2011, NAS Sigonella played an important role in US Operation Odyssey Dawn because of its short distance to the country.
• Because of Naval Air Station Sigonella's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Naval Air Station Sigonella 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.
• One of Sigonella's first buildings was what is now the American Forces Network building.
• Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) has 2 runways.

Facts about Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR):

• The closest airport to Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR) is Columbus-Lowndes County Airport (UBS), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) E of GTR.
• Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Golden Triangle Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 264 feet, planes can take off or land at Golden Triangle Regional 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.
• The furthest airport from Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,077 miles (17,827 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of the projected growth, in the years since 2003 the airport has spent significant resources improving and upgrading the infrastructure.