Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Mendi, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(6°8'51"S by 143°39'25"E)
Distance from FFD to MDU:
8,725.14 miles (14,041.72 km)
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- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- MDU Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about MDU
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to MDU
- List of Nearest Airports to MDU
- Map of Furthest Airports from MDU
- List of Furthest Airports from MDU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Mendi Airport (MDU), Mendi, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,725 miles (or 14,042 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 RAF Fairford and Mendi 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 RAF Fairford and Mendi Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MDU / AYMN |
| Airport Name: | Mendi Airport |
| Location: | Mendi, Papua New Guinea |
| GPS Coordinates: | 6°8'51"S by 143°39'25"E |
| Elevation: | 5680 feet (1,731 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MDU |
| More Information: | MDU Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
- On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
- In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
- On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
- The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
- The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Facts about Mendi Airport (MDU):
- The furthest airport from Mendi Airport (MDU) is Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (FOR), which is located 11,735 miles (18,885 kilometers) away in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
- Because of Mendi Airport's high elevation of 5,680 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MDU. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MDU a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Mendi Airport (MDU) is Moro Airport (MXH), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) WSW of MDU.
- Mendi Airport (MDU) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 32.41 miles (52.16 km) WSW | Moro Airport (MXH) | Moro, Papua New Guinea | |
| 2 | 49.17 miles (79.14 km) ENE | Mount Hagen Airport (HGU) | Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea | |
| 3 | 84.20 miles (135.51 km) NNE | Sangapi Airport (SGK) | Sangapi, Papua New Guinea | |
| 4 | 90.62 miles (145.84 km) E | Chimbu Airport (CMU) | Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea | |
| 5 | 97.15 miles (156.34 km) SSE | Kikori Airport (KRI) | Kikori, Papua New Guinea | |
| 6 | 101.43 miles (163.23 km) NE | Aiome Airport (AIE) | Aiome, Papua New Guinea | |
| 7 | 115.37 miles (185.67 km) SSW | Sasereme Airport (TDS) | Sasereme, Papua New Guinea | |
| 8 | 119.26 miles (191.93 km) E | Goroka Airport (GKA) | Goroka, Papua New Guinea | |
| 9 | 122.70 miles (197.47 km) SE | Baimuru Airport (VMU) | Baimuru, Papua New Guinea | |
| 10 | 138.30 miles (222.58 km) WNW | Biangabip Airport (BPK) | Biangabip, Papua New Guinea | |
| 11 | 143.15 miles (230.38 km) SSW | Awaba Airport (AWB) | Awaba, Papua New Guinea | |
| 12 | 154.87 miles (249.24 km) E | Aiyura Airport (AYU) | Aiyura, Papua New Guinea | |
| 13 | 157.88 miles (254.09 km) NW | Frieda River Airport (FAQ) | Frieda River, Papua New Guinea | |
| 14 | 157.89 miles (254.10 km) ESE | Andakombe Airport (ADC) | Andakombe, Papua New Guinea | |
| 15 | 158.37 miles (254.87 km) E | Gusap Airport (GAP) | Gusap, Papua New Guinea | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,734.70 miles (18,885.13 km) NNE | Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (FOR) | Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil | |
| 2 | 11,709.94 miles (18,845.27 km) NNE | Parnaíba–Prefeito Dr. João Silva Filho International Airport (PHB) | Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil | |
| 3 | 11,694.80 miles (18,820.91 km) NNW | Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN) | Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil | |
| 4 | 11,676.98 miles (18,792.23 km) NE | Barreirinhas Airport (BRB) | Barreirinhas, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 5 | 11,649.89 miles (18,748.63 km) N | Gov. Dix-Sept Rosado Airport (MVF) | Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil | |
| 6 | 11,623.91 miles (18,706.82 km) NE | Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical) (SLZ) | São Luís, Brazil | |
| 7 | 11,600.40 miles (18,668.98 km) N | Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) | Natal, Brazil | |
| 8 | 11,542.58 miles (18,575.94 km) NNE | Teresina–Senador Petrônio Portella Airport (THE) | Teresina, Piauí, Brazil | |
| 9 | 11,513.29 miles (18,528.79 km) S | Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) | João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 10 | 11,509.27 miles (18,522.32 km) S | Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV) | Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 11 | 11,451.03 miles (18,428.60 km) ENE | Belém/Val de Cans–Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport (BEL) | Belém, Pará, Brazil | |
| 12 | 11,445.71 miles (18,420.04 km) S | Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) | Recife, Brazil | |
| 13 | 11,430.70 miles (18,395.88 km) NW | São Filipe Airport (SFL) | Fogo, Cape Verde | |
| 14 | 11,416.57 miles (18,373.14 km) NW | Mosteiros Airport (MTI) | Mosteiros, Cape Verde | |
| 15 | 11,375.19 miles (18,306.54 km) NW | Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE) | São Vicente, Cape Verde | |