Nonstop flight route between Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Avalon, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport (CIB), Avalon, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,559 miles (or 5,728 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 Princess Juliana International Airport and Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs 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 Princess Juliana International Airport and Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs 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 Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM):

• Although the airport is as close to the beach as it is, there have only been 2 major accidents.
• Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The main apron measures 72,500 square metres with another 5,000 square metres on Eastern apron.
• The closest airport to Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) is L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) NE of SXM.
• PJIA is equipped with VOR/DME and NDB.
• Because of increased passenger traffic and the expected growth of passenger traffic in the near future, Princess Juliana International Airport is being heavily modernized following a three-phased masterplan, commissioned in 1997.
• The furthest airport from Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) is Karratha Airport (KTA), which is nearly antipodal to Princess Juliana International Airport (meaning Princess Juliana International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Karratha Airport), and is located 12,252 miles (19,718 kilometers) away in Karratha / Dampier, Western Australia, Australia.
• Arriving aircraft approach the island on the last section of the final approach for Runway 10, following a 3° glide slope flying low over the famous Maho Beach.
• Because of Princess Juliana International Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Princess Juliana 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.

Facts about Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport (CIB):

• The furthest airport from Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport (CIB) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,521 miles (18,541 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In addition to being known as "Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport", another name for CIB is "AVX".
• Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport (CIB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Catalina AirportBuffalo Springs Airport (CIB) is Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) N of CIB.
• The airport originally opened as "Buffalo Springs Airport" in the late 1930s and was made by leveling off the top of a hill.