Nonstop flight route between Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,553 miles (or 5,718 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 Abu Dhabi International Airport and MoD St Athan, 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 Abu Dhabi International Airport and MoD St Athan. 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 Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH):

• Because of Abu Dhabi International Airport's relatively low elevation of 88 feet, planes can take off or land at Abu Dhabi 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.
• The closest airport to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which is located 47 miles (76 kilometers) NE of AUH.
• The new Terminal 3, a AED 1 billion interim facility, was designed to allow for the airport's passenger growth before the planned opening of the new Midfield Terminal on July 17, 2017 at 7 AM.
• Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,827 miles (19,033 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• 1Martinair Cargo uses KLM Cargo aircraft on these routes
• The airport, 16.5 nautical miles southeast of Abu Dhabi city, is the second largest in the UAE, serving over 12 million passengers in 2010.
• In addition to being known as "Abu Dhabi International Airport", another name for AUH is "مطار أبوظبي الدولي".
• The project will provide a home base for the UAE's national carrier, Etihad Airways, which will be a major user of new cargo facilities with an ultimate handling capacity of around two million tonnes of freight a year.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The furthest airport from MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.
• Just before 1100 GMT on 11 February 2009, two Grob Tutor aircraft flying out of St Athan were involved in a mid-air collision in which two Air Training Corps cadets and their instructors, both RAF pilots, died.
• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.