Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Tapachula International Airport (TAP), Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,350 miles (or 7,001 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 Tapachula 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 Thule Air Base and Tapachula 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 Thule Air Base (THU):

• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• Late 1950s the DEW 1 to 4 where build as "weather stations", Thule Air Base would act as an supply station for the DYE bases.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• 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.
• 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.
• A delegation from NATO's Parliamentary Assembly visited Thule in early September 2010 and were told by the base commander that, at that time, approximately 600 personnel were serving at Thule, a mix of mostly U.S.
• In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
• Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
• 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.

Facts about Tapachula International Airport (TAP):

• The furthest airport from Tapachula International Airport (TAP) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,793 miles (18,979 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Because of Tapachula International Airport's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Tapachula 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.
• In addition to being known as "Tapachula International Airport", another name for TAP is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Tapachula".
• The closest airport to Tapachula International Airport (TAP) is Coatepeque Airport (CTF), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) ESE of TAP.
• Tapachula International Airport (TAP) currently has only 1 runway.