Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,888 miles (or 14,304 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 Presidente Castro Pinto 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 Presidente Castro Pinto 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):

• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• 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 is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.

Facts about Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA):

• Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Between 1980 and 1981 Infraero conducted major renovations and enlargements of the runway, taxiways and apron.
• Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport handled 1,230,230 passengers last year.
• Because of Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport's relatively low elevation of 215 feet, planes can take off or land at Presidente Castro Pinto 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 furthest airport from Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) is Falalop Airfield (ULI), which is nearly antipodal to Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (meaning Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Falalop Airfield), and is located 12,026 miles (19,354 kilometers) away in Falalop Island, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.
• It is operated by Infraero.
• The airport is located 12 km from downtown João Pessoa.
• In addition to being known as "Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport", another name for JPA is "Aeroporto Internacional Presidente Castro Pinto".
• The closest airport to Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) is Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV), which is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) W of JPA.