Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Ilulissat, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Ilulissat Airport (JAV), Ilulissat, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,483 miles (or 5,606 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 Ilulissat 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 Ilulissat 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):

• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.

Facts about Ilulissat Airport (JAV):

• Ilulissat Airport is an airport located near the shores of Disko Bay, 1.5 NM north-east of Ilulissat, a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland.
• The purpose of Ilulissat Airport is debated in Greenland.
• Ilulissat Airport handled 41,965 passengers last year.
• Air Greenland de Havilland Canada Dash 7, "Nipiki"
• In addition to being known as "Ilulissat Airport", other names for JAV include "Mittarfik Ilulissat" and "Ilulissat Lufthavn".
• Ilulissat Airport (JAV) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Ilulissat Airport's relatively low elevation of 95 feet, planes can take off or land at Ilulissat 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.
• On 29 January 2014, a De Havilland DHC-8 operated by Air Greenland suffered substantial damage in a landing accident, causing three injuries.
• The furthest airport from Ilulissat Airport (JAV) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• The closest airport to Ilulissat Airport (JAV) is Qasigiannguit Heliport (JCH), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) S of JAV.