Nonstop flight route between Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vigo Airport (VGO), Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,875 miles (or 9,455 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 Vigo Airport and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Vigo Airport and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Vigo Airport (VGO):

• Vigo Airport (VGO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Vigo Airport (VGO) is Braga Airport (BGZ), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) SSE of VGO.
• The neighbouring Santiago de Compostela Airport, also medium-sized, opened its first regular route with the capital Madrid in 1937.
• In addition to being known as "Vigo Airport", other names for VGO include "Aeropuerto de Vigo" and "Aeroporto de Vigo".
• Because of Vigo Airport's relatively low elevation of 855 feet, planes can take off or land at Vigo 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.
• After meeting in the summer of 2008 that would expand the airport terminal Vigo, and after more than a year of delays and conflicting information and would eventually expand the terminal, 24 February 2010, the Board of Directors approved at its meeting Aena the tendering of the works to expand the terminal with a budget of 59,393,578.76 euros.
• Vigo Airport handled 828,725 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Vigo Airport (VGO) is Greymouth Airport (GMN), which is nearly antipodal to Vigo Airport (meaning Vigo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Greymouth Airport), and is located 12,418 miles (19,985 kilometers) away in Greymouth, New Zealand.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.