Nonstop flight route between Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from YVR to SYA:
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- About this route
- YVR Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about YVR
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to YVR
- List of Nearest Airports to YVR
- Map of Furthest Airports from YVR
- List of Furthest Airports from YVR
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,653 miles (or 4,269 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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver 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:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | YVR / CYVR |
Airport Name: | Vancouver International Airport |
Location: | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 49°11'40"N by 123°11'2"W |
Area Served: | Metro Vancouver |
Operator/Owner: | Transport Canada |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 14 feet (4 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from YVR |
More Information: | YVR Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Facts about Vancouver International Airport (YVR):
- Vancouver Airport also has numerous features that have been implemented to assist visually impaired travellers.
- The South Terminal houses the corporate headquarters of Pacific Coastal Airlines.
- In 1927, Charles Lindbergh refused to include Vancouver in his North American tour because of the lack of a proper airport.
- Passengers traveling through YVR are no longer required to pay a separate airport improvement fee.
- YVR is one of eight Canadian airports that has United States border preclearance facilities.
- Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has 3 runways.
- The closest airport to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Vancouver Harbour Water Airport (CXH), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) NNE of YVR.
- The furthest airport from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,685 miles (17,196 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Because of Vancouver International Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Vancouver 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.
- The present main terminal was completed in 1968, and has since been expanded to include separate domestic and international terminals.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (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 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
- The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
- Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage.
- 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.
- Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
- Eareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
- Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
- 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.
- Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.