Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Reykjavík, Iceland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Reykjavík Airport (RKV), Reykjavík, Iceland would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,318 miles (or 6,949 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 Reykjavík 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 Reykjavík 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.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.

Facts about Reykjavík Airport (RKV):

• The furthest airport from Reykjavík Airport (RKV) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,187 miles (18,003 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Reykjavík Airport (RKV) is Keflavík International Airport (KEF), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) WSW of RKV.
• Reykjavík Airport handled 430,316 passengers last year.
• The city has grown around the airport and it is now located in the western part of the city.
• Reykjavík Airport (RKV) has 3 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Reykjavík Airport", other names for RKV include "Reykjavík Domestic Airport" and "Reykjavíkurflugvöllur".
• Renovation of the airport started in 2000 and lasted two years.
• Because of Reykjavík Airport's relatively low elevation of 45 feet, planes can take off or land at Reykjavík 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.
• On 27 December 1980, Douglas C-47B N54605 of Visionair International was damaged beyond repair in a storm at Reykjavik Airport.