Nonstop flight route between Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom and Christmas Island, Australia:
Departure Airport:
(51°36'59"N by 1°5'44"W)
Arrival Airport:
(10°27'2"S by 105°41'25"E)
Distance from BEX to XCH:
7,501.75 miles (12,072.87 km)
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- About this route
- BEX Airport Information
- XCH Airport Information
- Facts about BEX
- Facts about XCH
- Map of Nearest Airports to BEX
- List of Nearest Airports to BEX
- Map of Furthest Airports from BEX
- List of Furthest Airports from BEX
- Map of Nearest Airports to XCH
- List of Nearest Airports to XCH
- Map of Furthest Airports from XCH
- List of Furthest Airports from XCH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Benson (BEX), Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom and Christmas Island Airport (XCH), Christmas Island, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,502 miles (or 12,073 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 RAF Benson and Christmas Island 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 RAF Benson and Christmas Island Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BEX / EGUB |
| Airport Name: | RAF Benson |
| Location: | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°36'59"N by 1°5'44"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from BEX |
| More Information: | BEX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | XCH / YPXM |
| Airport Name: | Christmas Island Airport |
| Location: | Christmas Island, Australia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 10°27'2"S by 105°41'25"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Toll Remote Logistics |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 916 feet (279 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from XCH |
| More Information: | XCH Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Benson (BEX):
- The Battles were replaced in December 1940 with Vickers Wellington medium bombers.
- The closest airport to RAF Benson (BEX) is RAF High Wycombe (HYC), which is located only 13 miles (22 kilometers) ENE of BEX.
- The future of RAF Benson was in doubt for some time, while Project Belvedere was looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command's airfields.
- The station retained a reconnaissance role for some years after the war, with Avro Lancaster, Spitfire, Mosquito, Gloster Meteor PR.Mk 10 and English Electric Canberra PR.Mk 3 aircraft.
- The furthest airport from RAF Benson (BEX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,879 miles (19,118 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Facts about Christmas Island Airport (XCH):
- Although located on Australian territory, the airport is classified as a Category 4 international airport for all arrivals, including those from Australia.
- Because of Christmas Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 916 feet, planes can take off or land at Christmas Island 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.
- A brief revival of the "old days" happened in 2001 during the "Tampa" crisis when the heightened Royal Australian Air Force traffic was complemented by a large number of Department of Immigration and Citizenship and media charters.
- The furthest airport from Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), which is nearly antipodal to Christmas Island Airport (meaning Christmas Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport), and is located 12,393 miles (19,944 kilometers) away in Barranquilla, Colombia.
- The closest airport to Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Cibeureum Airfield (TSY), which is located 276 miles (445 kilometers) NE of XCH.
- Christmas Island Airport (XCH) currently has only 1 runway.
- Christmas Island Airport handled 27,286 passengers last year.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 13.38 miles (21.53 km) ENE | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 18.01 miles (28.98 km) NNW | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.84 miles (36.76 km) WNW | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 22.86 miles (36.79 km) SSE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 27.22 miles (43.81 km) SSE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 27.27 miles (43.88 km) SSE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 28.90 miles (46.51 km) ESE | London Heathrow Airport (LHR) | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 29.41 miles (47.34 km) E | RAF Northolt (NHT) | Ruislip, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 29.77 miles (47.92 km) S | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) W | RAF Fairford (FFD) | Fairford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 32.59 miles (52.45 km) NNE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 35.88 miles (57.74 km) ENE | London Luton Airport (LTN) | Luton (near London), England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 37.64 miles (60.57 km) ENE | Hatfield Aerodrome (HTF) | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 39.31 miles (63.26 km) W | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 47.38 miles (76.26 km) SSW | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,879.28 miles (19,117.81 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,856.22 miles (19,080.68 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,854.23 miles (19,077.49 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,851.63 miles (19,073.31 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,838.05 miles (19,051.45 km) ESE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,819.81 miles (19,022.09 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,815.78 miles (19,015.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,810.58 miles (19,007.24 km) SE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,802.08 miles (18,993.57 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,785.98 miles (18,967.65 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,785.41 miles (18,966.73 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,767.06 miles (18,937.19 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,759.25 miles (18,924.64 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,754.85 miles (18,917.55 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,740.74 miles (18,894.85 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 276.45 miles (444.90 km) NE | Cibeureum Airfield (TSY) | Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia | |
| 2 | 277.04 miles (445.86 km) NNE | Husein Sastranegara International Airport (HSA) (BDO) | Bandung, Indonesia | |
| 3 | 300.52 miles (483.64 km) NNE | Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (HLP) | Jakarta, Indonesia | |
| 4 | 300.72 miles (483.96 km) NE | Tunggul Wulung Airport (CXP) | Cilacap, Java Island, Indonesia | |
| 5 | 306.03 miles (492.51 km) NNE | Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) | Jakarta, Indonesia | |
| 6 | 320.99 miles (516.58 km) NE | Penggung Airport/Chakrabhuwana Airport (CBN) | Cirebon, Java, Indonesia | |
| 7 | 327.59 miles (527.20 km) NE | Purwokerto / Wirasaba Airport (PWL) | Wirasaba, Central Java, Indonesia | |
| 8 | 361.54 miles (581.84 km) N | Radin Inten II Airport (RIA II) (TKG) | Bandar Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| 9 | 372.08 miles (598.81 km) ENE | Adisucipto International Airport (JOG) | Yogyakarta, Indonesia | |
| 10 | 400.10 miles (643.90 km) NE | Achmad Yani International Airport (AYIA) (SRG) | Semarang, Indonesia | |
| 11 | 404.30 miles (650.65 km) N | Gunung Batin Airport (AKQ) | Astraksetra, Indonesia | |
| 12 | 458.82 miles (738.39 km) ENE | Ngloram Airport (CPF) | Cepu, Indonesia | |
| 13 | 509.81 miles (820.45 km) ENE | Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (MLG) | Malang, East Java, Indonesia | |
| 14 | 509.93 miles (820.65 km) NNW | Fatmawati Soekarno Airport (BKS) | Bengkulu, Indonesia | |
| 15 | 526.08 miles (846.63 km) N | Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II) (PLM) | Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,392.74 miles (19,944.12 km) NE | Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) | Barranquilla, Colombia | |
| 2 | 12,390.27 miles (19,940.16 km) N | Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR) | Santa Marta, Colombia | |
| 3 | 12,364.75 miles (19,899.08 km) W | Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) | Valledupar, Colombia | |
| 4 | 12,355.03 miles (19,883.45 km) E | Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) | Cartagena, Colombia | |
| 5 | 12,334.93 miles (19,851.10 km) NE | Las Brujas Airport (CZU) | Corozal, Colombia | |
| 6 | 12,317.08 miles (19,822.37 km) NW | Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH) | Riohacha, Colombia | |
| 7 | 12,302.01 miles (19,798.12 km) WNW | La Mina Airport Jorge Isaacs Airport (MCJ) | Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia | |
| 8 | 12,284.15 miles (19,769.38 km) NE | Los Garzones Airport (MTR) | Montería, Córdoba, Colombia | |
| 9 | 12,278.93 miles (19,760.97 km) NNE | Ayapel Airport (AYA) | Ayapel, Colombia | |
| 10 | 12,261.24 miles (19,732.50 km) W | La Chinita International Airport (MAR) | Maracaibo, Venezuela | |
| 11 | 12,254.90 miles (19,722.30 km) NNE | Caucasia Airport Juan H. White Airport (CAQ) | Caucasia, Antioquia, Colombia | |
| 12 | 12,246.04 miles (19,708.04 km) WNW | Miguel Urdaneta Fernández Airport (STB) | Santa Bárbara del Zulia, Venezuela | |
| 13 | 12,236.67 miles (19,692.97 km) N | El Bagre Airport El Tomin Airport (EBG) | El Bagre, Colombia | |
| 14 | 12,233.62 miles (19,688.05 km) W | Oro Negro Airport (CBS) | Cabimas, Venezuela | |
| 15 | 12,230.26 miles (19,682.64 km) NW | La Fría Airport (LFR) | La Fria, Venezuela | |