Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Aqaba, Jordan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and King Hussein International Airport (AQJ), Aqaba, Jordan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,238 miles (or 10,039 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 Eareckson Air Station and King Hussein 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 Eareckson Air Station and King Hussein 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 Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.
• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• 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.
• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.

Facts about King Hussein International Airport (AQJ):

• The furthest airport from King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,802 miles (18,994 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• Annual Capacity 1,000,000, The airport has 4 check-in desks, 2 gates, a cargo building and a cargo apron together with a parallel taxiway.
• The airport has a single 28,000 sq ft  terminal building with just one departure gate and one baggage carousel, though the building is being extended.
• The closest airport to King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) is Eilat Airport (ETH), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) SW of AQJ.
• King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of King Hussein International Airport's relatively low elevation of 173 feet, planes can take off or land at King Hussein 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.
• In addition to being known as "King Hussein International Airport", another name for AQJ is "مطار الملك حسين الدولي".