Nonstop flight route between Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Hualien Airport (HUN), Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,513 miles (or 15,310 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 Hualien 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 Hualien 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• In 1994, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France signed the Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controls, which allows for joint Franco-Dutch border controls on so-called "risk flights".
• Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Because the approach to Runway 10 is over water, pilots can become disoriented regarding their perceived altitude when operating under visual flight rules.
• The airport was started as a military airstrip in 1942.
• 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.
• To accommodate the growing international and local traffic of private aircraft, PJIA has a Fixed Base Operator building, offering office space and private lounges with dedicated customs.

Facts about Hualien Airport (HUN):

• The closest airport to Hualien Airport (HUN) is Taichung Airport(Taichung Ching Chuan Kang Airport) (RMQ), which is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) WNW of HUN.
• In addition to being known as "Hualien Airport", other names for HUN include "花蓮航空站花蓮機場" and "Huālián HángkōngzhànHuālián Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Hualien Airport (HUN) is Clorinda Airport (CLX), which is nearly antipodal to Hualien Airport (meaning Hualien Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Clorinda Airport), and is located 12,339 miles (19,858 kilometers) away in Clorinda, Formosa, Argentina.
• Because of Hualien Airport's relatively low elevation of 52 feet, planes can take off or land at Hualien 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.
• Hualien Airport (HUN) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because Hualien City is a popular gateway into Taroko National Park, the airport became too small and outdated for the growing number of tourists.