Nonstop flight route between Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States and Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK), Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States and Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), Port Elizabeth, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,979 miles (or 12,840 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 Nantucket Memorial Airport and Port Elizabeth International 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 Nantucket Memorial Airport and Port Elizabeth International 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 Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK):

• In the late 1930s, a man named Holm began allowing the Town of Nantucket to use fields on his property as an airfield.
• Because of Nantucket Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at Nantucket Memorial 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 furthest airport from Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,858 miles (19,083 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) has 3 runways.
• Up through the 1990s, a variety of other carriers served the airport, some of which used jet airliners as large as McDonnell Douglas DC-9s.
• The closest airport to Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) is Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) WNW of ACK.

Facts about Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ):

• The furthest airport from Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,567 miles (18,615 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
• A number of hotels are present on or near the airport.
• The closest airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) ENE of PLZ.
• Because of Port Elizabeth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 226 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Elizabeth 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.
• June, 2010 - South African Airways operated an Airbus A340-200 to Port Elizabeth to help manage the extra volume of people during the FIFA World Cup 2010.
• Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) has 2 runways.
• 1 February 2008 - King Abdullah II of Jordan's Airbus A340-200 landed at Port Elizabeth as he makes his way down the Garden Route to Cape Town on a Harley-Davidson motorbike.
• Air Force Station Port Elizabeth is home to C Flight of 15 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
• Construction of the permanent terminal buildings, runways and an air traffic control building began in 1950.