Nonstop flight route between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), San Juan, Puerto Rico and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,015 miles (or 6,461 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 Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Thule Air Base, 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 Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and Thule Air Base. 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 Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU):

• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) is Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) W of SJU.
• The airport serves as the Caribbean hub for Cape Air, Air Sunshine, and Seaborne Airlines, as well as a focus city for JetBlue Airways.
• Because of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Luis Muñoz Marín 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.
• The furthest airport from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (meaning Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,246 miles (19,708 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport opened on May 22, 1955.
• In addition to being known as "Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport", another name for SJU is "Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín".
• Over $400 million was used to expand the airport facilities through 2011.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• In 1957 construction began on 4 Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
• Thule Air Base is home to the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
• The furthest airport from Thule Air Base (THU) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 9,883 miles (15,905 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Thule Air Base has served as the regional hub for nearby installations, including Cape Atholl, Camp Century, Camp TUTO, Sites 1 and 2, P-Mountain, J-Site, North and South Mountains, and a research rocket firing site.
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.