Nonstop flight route between Moscow, Russia and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), Moscow, Russia and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,560 miles (or 7,339 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 Vnukovo International 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 Vnukovo International 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 Vnukovo International Airport (VKO):

• On 4 November 1957, a plane carrying Romanian Workers' Party officials, including the most prominent politicians of Communist Romania, was involved in an accident at Vnukovo Airport.
• The closest airport to Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) is Ostafyevo International Airport (OSF), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ESE of VKO.
• Of the three Moscow airports, Vnukovo is the highest.
• Terminal A is used both for domestic and international flights, Terminal B is used for international flights, and Terminal D is used for domestic arrivals from North Caucasus only.
• The furthest airport from Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,747 miles (17,296 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) has 2 runways.
• The airport has two passenger terminals, one general aviation terminal, one cargo terminal, and 60 aircraft stands.
• Because of Vnukovo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 686 feet, planes can take off or land at Vnukovo 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 "Vnukovo International Airport", another name for VKO is "Международный Аэропорт Внуково".
• Vnukovo International Airport handled 11,175,100 passengers last year.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• 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.
• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.