Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Basrah, Iraq:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR), Basrah, Iraq would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,844 miles (or 9,405 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah 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):

• 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.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.

Facts about Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR):

• The closest airport to Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) is Abadan International Airport (ABD), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) ESE of BSR.
• Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Basrah International Airport is the second largest international airport in Iraq, and is located in the southern city of Basra.
• The airport is also currently in the process of civilianisation as part of the rebuilding of the country as part of Operation Telic of the multinational force in Iraq.
• Because of Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Basrah International AirportBasrah 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 furthest airport from Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,898 miles (19,147 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Reconstruction of the airport is still under way to improve the facilities.