Nonstop flight route between Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa and San Diego, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from APW to SDM:
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- About this route
- APW Airport Information
- SDM Airport Information
- Facts about APW
- Facts about SDM
- Map of Nearest Airports to APW
- List of Nearest Airports to APW
- Map of Furthest Airports from APW
- List of Furthest Airports from APW
- Map of Nearest Airports to SDM
- List of Nearest Airports to SDM
- Map of Furthest Airports from SDM
- List of Furthest Airports from SDM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Faleolo International Airport (APW), Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa and Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM), San Diego, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,844 miles (or 7,795 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 Faleolo International Airport and Brown Field Municipal 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 Faleolo International Airport and Brown Field Municipal Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | APW / NSFA |
Airport Name: | Faleolo International Airport |
Location: | Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa |
GPS Coordinates: | 13°49'46"S by 172°0'29"W |
Area Served: | Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 58 feet (18 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from APW |
More Information: | APW Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SDM / KSDM |
Airport Name: | Brown Field Municipal Airport |
Location: | San Diego, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°34'19"N by 116°58'49"W |
Area Served: | San Diego, California |
Operator/Owner: | City of San Diego |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 526 feet (160 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SDM |
More Information: | SDM Maps & Info |
Facts about Faleolo International Airport (APW):
- The site and location of the current airport was originally known as Faleolo Airfield.
- Faleolo International Airport (APW) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Faleolo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 58 feet, planes can take off or land at Faleolo 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.
- Small turboprop aircraft connect American and independent Samoa.
- The furthest airport from Faleolo International Airport (APW) is Maradi Airport (MFQ), which is nearly antipodal to Faleolo International Airport (meaning Faleolo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maradi Airport), and is located 12,373 miles (19,913 kilometers) away in Maradi, Niger.
- The closest airport to Faleolo International Airport (APW) is Maota (Salelologa) Airport (MXS), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) WNW of APW.
Facts about Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM):
- A precision approach is not possible to either runway end due to rising terrain less than six miles east of the airport.
- On September 1, 1962 the Navy transferred ownership of Brown Field to the City of San Diego, with the condition that it remains a public airport.
- Because of Brown Field Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 526 feet, planes can take off or land at Brown Field Municipal 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.
- Brown Field is 1.5 miles north of the US/Mexico border in the Otay Mesa Community of the City of San Diego.
- On March 16, 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in the crash of a plane that departed from Brown Field.
- Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,551 miles (18,590 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), which is located only 2 miles (4 kilometers) SSE of SDM.
- Tijuana Airport, an airline airport, is just over 1 nmi to the south across the Mexico-United States border, with a similar length and a slightly different runway orientation.