Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Alakanuk, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Alakanuk Airport (AUK), Alakanuk, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,688 miles (or 4,326 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and Alakanuk 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and Alakanuk 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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 first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• During its use by the military Santa Maria AAF also controlled Estrella Army Airfield, near Paso Robles as an auxiliary airfield to support the pilot training activity.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.

Facts about Alakanuk Airport (AUK):

• Because of Alakanuk Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Alakanuk 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.
• Alakanuk Airport is a state owned, public use airport located one nautical mile southwest of the central business district of Alakanuk, a city in the Wade Hampton Census Area of the U.S.
• A new airport being built west of the city.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,015 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 3,302 enplanements in 2009, and 3,213 in 2010.
• The furthest airport from Alakanuk Airport (AUK) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,448 miles (16,814 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Alakanuk Airport (AUK) is Emmonak Airport (EMK), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) NE of AUK.
• In addition to being known as "Alakanuk Airport", another name for AUK is "PAUK".
• Alakanuk Airport (AUK) currently has only 1 runway.