Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Milikapiti, Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from THU to SNB:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- SNB Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about SNB
- 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 SNB
- List of Nearest Airports to SNB
- Map of Furthest Airports from SNB
- List of Furthest Airports from SNB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Snake Bay Airport (SNB), Milikapiti, Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,882 miles (or 12,685 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 Snake Bay 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 Snake Bay 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: |
|
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: | SNB / YSNB |
Airport Name: | Snake Bay Airport |
Location: | Milikapiti, Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 11°25'22"S by 130°39'12"E |
Area Served: | Melville Island, Australia |
Operator/Owner: | Tiwi Island Shire Council |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 173 feet (53 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SNB |
More Information: | SNB Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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 closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- Thule Air Base is home to the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
- 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.
- There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- Originally established as a Strategic Air Command installation, Thule would periodically serve as a dispersal base for B-36 Peacemaker and B-47 Stratojet aircraft during the 1950s, as well as providing an ideal site to test the operability and maintainability of these weapon systems in extreme cold weather.
Facts about Snake Bay Airport (SNB):
- The furthest airport from Snake Bay Airport (SNB) is Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport (CAY), which is located 11,936 miles (19,209 kilometers) away in Cayenne, French Guiana.
- Snake Bay Airport (SNB) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Snake Bay Airport (SNB) is Garden Point Airport (GPN), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) W of SNB.
- The airfield was never fully utilized as the proposed amphibious operations were canceled and replaced with the New Guinea campaign.
- Because of Snake Bay Airport's relatively low elevation of 173 feet, planes can take off or land at Snake Bay 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.