Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Alexandria, Egypt:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Alexandria International Airport (ALY), Alexandria, Egypt would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,053 miles (or 9,741 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 Shaw Air Force Base and Alexandria International 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 Shaw Air Force Base and Alexandria International 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 Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• The furthest airport from Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,545 miles (18,580 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• On 25 June 1953, the 66th TRW departed Shaw, being reassigned to Sembach Air Base, West Germany.
• After the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military branch in September 1947, Shaw Army Airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base, on 13 January 1948 and the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated on 15 August 1947 with the implementation of the Hobson Plan.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.

Facts about Alexandria International Airport (ALY):

• The closest airport to Alexandria International Airport (ALY) is Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) SW of ALY.
• The furthest airport from Alexandria International Airport (ALY) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,827 miles (19,033 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Alexandria International Airport", another name for ALY is "El Nouzha Airport".
• Because of Alexandria International Airport's relatively low elevation of -6 feet, planes can take off or land at Alexandria 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 future of the airport was in doubt with the opening of Borg El Arab Airport, however in early 2011 the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation announced major plans to overhaul the airport and its facilities to ensure its future as one of the two commercial airports for Alexandria and Nile Delta region.
• Alexandria International Airport (ALY) has 2 runways.
• The airport is currently closed for renovation and is scheduled for reopening in June 2014 and all traffic was transferred to Borg El Arab Airport.