Nonstop flight route between Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (QSC), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,943 miles (or 4,737 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 Mário Pereira Lopes State 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 Mário Pereira Lopes State 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):

• Despite the reputed difficulties in approach, there have been no records of major incidents at the airport, although ALM Flight 980 crashed 30 miles from St.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Since official opening of the new control tower, PJIA air traffic controllers have two radar systems at their disposal with ranges of 50 nautical miles and 250 nautical miles.
• Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) currently has only 1 runway.
• If traffic develops as forecast, Phase III of the masterplan will be executed, consisting of an extension of the new terminal building and the construction of a full parallel taxiway system.
• Although the airport is as close to the beach as it is, there have only been 2 major accidents.
• 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 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.

Facts about Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (QSC):

• Also in 2001, TAM Airlines acquired the old tractor plant and after a complete renovation installed one of its maintenance centers on the site.
• In addition to being known as "Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport", another name for QSC is "Aeroporto Estadual Mário Pereira Lopes".
• The airport was built in the 1970s as a private aerodrome of a Brazilian tractor manufacturer.
• Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (QSC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (QSC) is Bartolomeu de Gusmão State Airport (AQA), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) WNW of QSC.
• Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport handled 1,280 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (QSC) is Minami-Daito Airport (MMD), which is nearly antipodal to Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport (meaning Mário Pereira Lopes State Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minami-Daito Airport), and is located 12,157 miles (19,566 kilometers) away in Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan.