Nonstop flight route between Sauðárkrókur, Iceland and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SAK to SYA:
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- About this route
- SAK Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about SAK
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SAK
- List of Nearest Airports to SAK
- Map of Furthest Airports from SAK
- List of Furthest Airports from SAK
- 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 Sauðárkrókur Airport (SAK), Sauðárkrókur, Iceland and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,221 miles (or 6,793 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 Sauðárkrókur 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 Sauðárkrókur 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: | SAK / BIKR |
Airport Name: | Sauðárkrókur Airport |
Location: | Sauðárkrókur, Iceland |
GPS Coordinates: | 65°43'54"N by 19°34'22"W |
Area Served: | Sauðárkrókur, Iceland |
Operator/Owner: | Isavia |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 8 feet (2 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SAK |
More Information: | SAK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
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 Sauðárkrókur Airport (SAK):
- Sauðárkrókur Airport (SAK) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Sauðárkrókur Airport (SAK) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,105 miles (17,872 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
- The closest airport to Sauðárkrókur Airport (SAK) is Siglufjörður Airport (SIJ), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) NNE of SAK.
- Because of Sauðárkrókur Airport's relatively low elevation of 8 feet, planes can take off or land at Sauðárkrókur 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.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (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.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- In August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
- 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.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
- The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
- 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.
- 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.