Nonstop flight route between Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,487 miles (or 5,611 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 RAF Fairford, 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 RAF Fairford. 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):

• Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has 2 runways.
• Development work has started on a new passenger terminal, the main building and centerpiece of the new airport, to be between the two runways and known as the Midfield Terminal.
• With the withdrawal of support for regional airline Gulf Air after nearly five decades, Etihad became the new airline to be based at the airport.
• 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.
• Additionally, an hour's flight away is Doha International Airport, home of Qatar Airways, which is the fastest growing full service airline in Asia, and one of the fastest growing in the world.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Abu Dhabi International Airport", another name for AUH is "مطار أبوظبي الدولي".
• Abu Dhabi International Airport is an airport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
• The expansion master plan projects include a third 4,260 m parallel runway, 2,000 m from the existing runways, a new 110 m tower between the two runways with the new Air Traffic Control centre, enhanced cargo and maintenance facilities, and other commercial developments on the land immediately adjacent to and north of the airport.
• Etihad operated its first flight to the U.S.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• RAF Fairford was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK.
• In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
• The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
• RAF Fairford was constructed in 1944 to serve as an airfield for British and American troop carriers and gliders for the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II.
• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.