Nonstop flight route between Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Atuona Airport (AUQ), Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,627 miles (or 13,885 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 Atuona 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 Atuona 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 Atuona Airport (AUQ):

• Atuona Airport (AUQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Atuona Airport", another name for AUQ is "Hiva Oa Airport".
• The furthest airport from Atuona Airport (AUQ) is Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), which is nearly antipodal to Atuona Airport (meaning Atuona Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
• The closest airport to Atuona Airport (AUQ) is Fangatau Airport (FGU), which is located 437 miles (703 kilometers) SSW of AUQ.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• During the 1960s, a driving school was established.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• 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.
• The only squadrons to operate out of St Athan on a regular basis are the University of Wales Air Squadron, flying Grob Tutors and No 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron using Vigilant T.1s.