Nonstop flight route between El Arish, Egypt and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between El Arish International Airport (AAC), El Arish, Egypt and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,582 miles (or 12,202 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 El Arish International Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 El Arish International Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 El Arish International Airport (AAC):

• The closest airport to El Arish International Airport (AAC) is Yasser Arafat International Airport (CLOSED) (GZA), which is located 29 miles (46 kilometers) ENE of AAC.
• It is the closest airport to the Gaza Strip and borders Egypt but despite it was not recognized by Egyptian civil aviation.
• In addition to being known as "El Arish International Airport", another name for AAC is "مطار العريش الدولي".
• Because of El Arish International Airport's relatively low elevation of 121 feet, planes can take off or land at El Arish 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.
• El Arish International Airport handled 15,166 passengers last year.
• El Arish International Airport (AAC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from El Arish International Airport (AAC) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,759 miles (18,925 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.