Nonstop flight route between Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States and Sofia, Bulgaria:
Departure Airport:
(43°40'51"N by 93°22'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(42°41'42"N by 23°24'29"E)
Distance from AEL to SOF:
5,304.28 miles (8,536.39 km)
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- AEL Airport Information
- SOF Airport Information
- Facts about AEL
- Facts about SOF
- Map of Nearest Airports to AEL
- List of Nearest Airports to AEL
- Map of Furthest Airports from AEL
- List of Furthest Airports from AEL
- Map of Nearest Airports to SOF
- List of Nearest Airports to SOF
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOF
- List of Furthest Airports from SOF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL), Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States and Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF), Sofia, Bulgaria would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,304 miles (or 8,536 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 Albert Lea Municipal Airport and Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna, 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 Albert Lea Municipal Airport and Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | AEL / KAEL |
| Airport Name: | Albert Lea Municipal Airport |
| Location: | Albert Lea, Minnesota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 43°40'51"N by 93°22'5"W |
| Area Served: | Albert Lea, Minnesota |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Albert Lea |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1261 feet (384 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from AEL |
| More Information: | AEL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SOF / LBSF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| GPS Coordinates: | 42°41'42"N by 23°24'29"E |
| Area Served: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Operator/Owner: | Sofia Airport EAD |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1742 feet (531 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SOF |
| More Information: | SOF Maps & Info |
Facts about Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL):
- Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL) has 2 runways.
- Albert Lea Municipal Airport was recently granted over $3 million in federal economic stimulus funds to relocate the main runway.
- In the last 15 years, there have been 8 major soaring contests at the Albert Lea Airport.
- The furthest airport from Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,773 miles (17,338 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Albert Lea Municipal Airport (AEL) is Austin Municipal Airport (AUM), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) E of AEL.
Facts about Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF):
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) currently has only 1 runway.
- On 31 August 2006, Sofia Airport put its new runway system into operation, replacing the old and out-of-date facilities.
- In addition to being known as "Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna", other names for SOF include "Vrazhdebna Airport" and "Летище София".
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna handled 350,432 passengers last year.
- Contract for detailed design and construction of a new control tower of the airport and forming an ATM Glavbolgarstroy.
- The initial completion deadline for the new terminal was 15 December 2004 to a total budget of 112.2 million euro.
- By the late 1970s, the terminal was handling in the region of three million passengers a year, a million of them on domestic routes.
- Lufthansa Technik Sofia was founded in late 2007 as a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and the Bulgarian Aviation Group.
- The closest airport to Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Plovdiv Airport (PDV), which is located 86 miles (138 kilometers) ESE of SOF.
- The furthest airport from Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,437 miles (18,405 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- The airport was initially built in the late 1930s on a site 6.3 km by road then.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 21.79 miles (35.07 km) E | Austin Municipal Airport (AUM) | Austin, Minnesota, United States |     |
| 2 | 33.41 miles (53.77 km) SSW | Forest City Municipal Airport (FXY) | Forest City, Iowa, United States | |
| 3 | 36.21 miles (58.27 km) S | Mason City Municipal Airport (MCW) | Mason City, Iowa, United States | |
| 4 | 46.05 miles (74.11 km) ENE | Rochester International Airport (RST) | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | |
| 5 | 46.31 miles (74.53 km) NW | Mankato Regional Airport (MKT) | Mankato, Minnesota, United States | |
| 6 | 52.42 miles (84.36 km) W | Fairmont Municipal Airport (FRM) | Fairmont, Minnesota, United States | |
| 7 | 56.70 miles (91.24 km) SE | Northeast Iowa Regional Airport (CCY) | Charles City, Iowa, United States | |
| 8 | 57.60 miles (92.70 km) NNE | Stanton Airfield (SYN) | Stanton, Minnesota, United States | |
| 9 | 61.63 miles (99.18 km) SW | Algona Municipal Airport (AXG) | Algona, Iowa, United States | |
| 10 | 71.57 miles (115.18 km) NW | New Ulm Municipal Airport (ULM) | New Ulm, Minnesota, United States | |
| 11 | 78.83 miles (126.87 km) SW | Humboldt Municipal Airport (HUD) | Humboldt, Iowa, United States | |
| 12 | 79.31 miles (127.64 km) N | Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) | Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States | |
| 13 | 80.93 miles (130.24 km) W | Jackson Municipal Airport (MJQ) | Jackson, Minnesota, United States | |
| 14 | 83.28 miles (134.03 km) N | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Wold–Chamberlain Airport (MSP) | Bloomington, Minnesota, United States | |
| 15 | 86.33 miles (138.93 km) ESE | Decorah Municipal Airport (DEH) | Decorah, Iowa, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,773.22 miles (17,337.78 km) WSW | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 10,749.67 miles (17,299.88 km) WSW | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 10,734.85 miles (17,276.02 km) WSW | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 10,724.70 miles (17,259.68 km) WSW | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 10,677.82 miles (17,184.24 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 10,676.66 miles (17,182.38 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,665.16 miles (17,163.87 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,654.77 miles (17,147.16 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,640.43 miles (17,124.07 km) WSW | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,629.63 miles (17,106.68 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,578.79 miles (17,024.88 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,547.78 miles (16,974.97 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,536.55 miles (16,956.89 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,527.15 miles (16,941.76 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,490.59 miles (16,882.93 km) WSW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 86.04 miles (138.47 km) ESE | Plovdiv Airport (PDV) | Plovdiv, Bulgaria | |
| 2 | 90.21 miles (145.17 km) WNW | Niš Constantine the Great International Airport (INI) | Niš, Serbia | |
| 3 | 104.17 miles (167.64 km) WSW | Skopje Airport (SKP) | Skopje, Macedonia | |
| 4 | 114.70 miles (184.58 km) NNE | Craiova International Airport (CRA) | Craiova, Romania | |
| 5 | 116.49 miles (187.47 km) E | Stara Zagora Airport (SZR) | Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | |
| 6 | 120.78 miles (194.38 km) ENE | Gorna Oryahovitsa Airport (GOZ) | Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria | |
| 7 | 120.89 miles (194.55 km) W | Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari" (PRN) | Pristina, Kosovo | |
| 8 | 121.98 miles (196.31 km) ESE | Haskovo Malevo Airport (HKV) | Haskovo, Bulgaria | |
| 9 | 137.99 miles (222.08 km) SSE | Kavala International Airport "Alexander The Great" (KVA) | Kavala, Greece | |
| 10 | 150.23 miles (241.78 km) ENE | Ruse Airport (ROU) | Rousse, Bulgaria | |
| 11 | 150.69 miles (242.52 km) E | Bezmer Air Base (JAM) | Yambol (Jambol), Bulgaria | |
| 12 | 151.99 miles (244.60 km) S | Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG) | Thessaloniki, Greece | |
| 13 | 172.42 miles (277.48 km) SW | Ohrid Airport (OHD) | Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia | |
| 14 | 180.14 miles (289.91 km) W | Dolac Airport (IVG) | Berane, Montenegro | |
| 15 | 182.69 miles (294.02 km) SE | Alexandroupolis International Airport (AXD) | Alexandroupolis, Greece | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,436.55 miles (18,405.29 km) E | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,080.97 miles (17,833.04 km) E | Gisborne Airport (GIS) | Gisborne, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,042.80 miles (17,771.62 km) E | Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE) | Napier, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,008.76 miles (17,716.84 km) E | Whakatane Airport (WHK) | Whakatane, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,008.49 miles (17,716.41 km) E | Hood Aerodrome (MRO) | Masterton, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,004.83 miles (17,710.51 km) SSW | Rurutu Airport (RUR) | Rurutu, French Polynesia | |
| 7 | 10,997.71 miles (17,699.06 km) S | Mangaia Island Airport (MGS) | Mangaia Island, Cook Islands | |
| 8 | 10,996.07 miles (17,696.41 km) E | Palmerston North Airport (PMR) | Palmerston North, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 10,986.67 miles (17,681.28 km) E | Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) | Taupo, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 10,983.29 miles (17,675.84 km) E | Rotorua International Airport (ROT) | Rotorua, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 10,974.71 miles (17,662.04 km) E | Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) | Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 10,972.38 miles (17,658.28 km) E | Wellington International Airport (WLG) | Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 10,966.07 miles (17,648.14 km) E | Tauranga Airport (TRG) | Tauranga, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 10,959.16 miles (17,637.01 km) E | Wanganui Airport (WAG) | Wanganui, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 10,944.51 miles (17,613.43 km) E | Matamata Airport (MTA) | Matamata, New Zealand | |