Nonstop flight route between Sirte, Libya and Catania, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ghardabiya Air Base (SRX), Sirte, Libya and Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY), Catania, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 449 miles (or 722 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 relatively short distance between Ghardabiya Air Base and Naval Air Station Sigonella, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ghardabiya Air Base (SRX):

• The closest airport to Ghardabiya Air Base (SRX) is Misrata International Airport (MRA), which is located 126 miles (203 kilometers) NW of SRX.
• It is the home base of 1124 Bomber Squadron and 1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron which operate the Su-22 aircraft.
• In addition to being known as "Ghardabiya Air Base", other names for SRX include "Gardabya Airport" and "SRX [1]".
• Because of Ghardabiya Air Base's relatively low elevation of 266 feet, planes can take off or land at Ghardabiya Air Base 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 Ghardabiya Air Base (SRX) is Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), which is located 11,720 miles (18,862 kilometers) away in Avarua, Cook Islands.
• Ghardabiya Air Base (SRX) has 2 runways.

Facts about Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY):

• The closest airport to Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) ENE of NSY.
• On the night of 10 October 1985, there were tense hours on NAS II when the Italian Carabinieri, Italian Air Force, and the US Army's Delta Force came close to firing upon one another following the interception by Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters of an Egyptian Boeing 737 airliner carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, which had been commandeered by members of the PLO on 7 October.
• Because of Naval Air Station Sigonella's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Naval Air Station Sigonella 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 late 1985, work crews belonging to NMCB 133 were repairing and installing sidewalks in the housing area at NAS I when they uncovered a small stockpile of Luftwaffe antiaircraft ammunition.
• One of Sigonella's first buildings was what is now the American Forces Network building.
• When NATO took military intervention to Libya in 2011, NAS Sigonella played an important role in US Operation Odyssey Dawn because of its short distance to the country.
• The furthest airport from Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,695 miles (18,821 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station Sigonella", other names for NSY include "Base aerea di Sigonella" and "NAS Sigonella".
• Most permanent party military personnel and families are housed in Marinai, located 2 minutes from NAS II and approximately 10–15 minutes from NAS I.
• NAS Sigonella has the best claim to be hub of U.S.
• Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) has 2 runways.