Nonstop flight route between San Salvador, El Salvador and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL), San Salvador, El Salvador and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,763 miles (or 9,274 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 Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero 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 Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero 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 Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL):

• Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport serves as the Main hub for TACA Airlines, now Avianca Airlines and Salvadoran airline, Veca Airlines which will begin their operations in June 2014.
• Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) has 2 runways.
• The Legislature of El Salvador approved on 19 March 2014 without the vote of ARENA and PDC, the renaming of the International Airport of El Salvador to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport.
• The document credits the Salvadoran airport terminal compliance with all safety regulations issued under the Civil Aviation Organisation, on fire control and health care, removal of rubber from the runways, lights and safety signs.
• There is Wifi availability throughout much of the airport.
• The furthest airport from Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (meaning Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,031 miles (19,362 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The closest airport to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) is Marcala Airport (MRJ), which is located 84 miles (136 kilometers) NE of SAL.
• Funding for this project was provided through the Government of Japan.
• Because of Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport's relatively low elevation of 102 feet, planes can take off or land at Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero 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.
• In addition to being known as "Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport", another name for SAL is "Comalapa International Airport".
• With 2,076,258 passengers in 2008, it is the busiest airport in El Salvador and third-busiest in Central America by passenger traffic.
• The certification will enable El Salvador to keep the category 1ante Federal Aviation Administration United States.
• The airport has a main runway 3,200 m × 45 m, with an effective running surface of 45 m and 7.5 m shoulders.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• 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.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.