Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Comiso, Italy:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to CIY:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- CIY Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about CIY
- Map of Nearest Airports to THU
- List of Nearest Airports to THU
- Map of Furthest Airports from THU
- List of Furthest Airports from THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to CIY
- List of Nearest Airports to CIY
- Map of Furthest Airports from CIY
- List of Furthest Airports from CIY
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Comiso Airport (CIY), Comiso, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,637 miles (or 5,853 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 Thule Air Base and Comiso 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 Thule Air Base and Comiso Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | THU / BGTL |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Pituffik, Greenland |
| GPS Coordinates: | 76°31'51"N by 68°42'11"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from THU |
| More Information: | THU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | CIY / LICB |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Comiso, Italy |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°59'30"N by 14°36'24"E |
| Area Served: | Comiso and Ragusa |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 620 feet (189 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from CIY |
| More Information: | CIY Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- Thule Air Base is also home to the 821st Air Base Group and is responsible for air base support within the Thule Defense Area for the multinational population of "Team Thule." The base hosts the 12th Space Warning Squadron which operates a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System designed to detect and track ICBMs launched against North America.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
- After the German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Henrik Kauffmann Danish Ambassador to the United States, made an agreement "In the name of the king" with the United States authorizing the United States to defend the Danish colonies on Greenland from German aggression - this agreement faced Kaufmann with a charge of high treason.
- In 1957 construction began on 4 Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958.
- The furthest airport from Thule Air Base (THU) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 9,883 miles (15,905 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
- In 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
Facts about Comiso Airport (CIY):
- During the summer of 1983, three large anti-nuclear demonstrations, largely funded by the Communist Party, were conducted around the base perimeter, with as many as 5,000 protesters at the events in late July, August and September.
- Because of Comiso Airport's relatively low elevation of 620 feet, planes can take off or land at Comiso 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.
- Refurbishment work to reactivate the airport started in 2004 and was completed during the winter of 2008.
- The closest airport to Comiso Airport (CIY) is Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NNE of CIY.
- In addition to being known as "Comiso Airport", another name for CIY is "Aeroporto di Comiso".
- Today the NATO air base, located on the southeast side of the runway, is totally abandoned and empty.
- The airfield remained under Allied control until American forces left in early 1945.
- Comiso Airport (CIY) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Comiso Airport (CIY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,689 miles (18,812 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
