Nonstop flight route between Svolvær, Norway and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ), Svolvær, Norway and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,013 miles (or 6,459 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ):

• In addition to being known as "Svolvær Airport, Helle", another name for SVJ is "Svolvær lufthavn, Helle".
• Svolvær Airport, Helle handled 77,310 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) is Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen (SKN), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) NNE of SVJ.
• In 2011, Svolvær Airport had 77,310 passengers.
• The furthest airport from Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,701 miles (17,222 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Svolvær Airport, Helle's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Svolvær Airport, Helle 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.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• In August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Because of Eareckson Air Station's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Eareckson Air Station 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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• The furthest airport from Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,668 miles (17,168 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.