Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Fajardo, Puerto Rico, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ), Fajardo, Puerto Rico, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,375 miles (or 10,260 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 Diego Jiménez Torres 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 Diego Jiménez Torres 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):

• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• On 1 April 1995, Eareckson AS was converted to contractor operations and maintenance, providing all support on the island.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• 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.
• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.

Facts about Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ):

• In addition to being known as "Diego Jiménez Torres Airport", other names for FAJ include "Fajardo Airport" and "X95".
• The furthest airport from Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (meaning Diego Jiménez Torres Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,247 miles (19,709 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) is Humacao Airport (HUC), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SW of FAJ.
• Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Diego Jiménez Torres Airport's relatively low elevation of 64 feet, planes can take off or land at Diego Jiménez Torres 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.