Nonstop flight route between Bakersfield, California, United States and Lamu, Kenya:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Meadows Field (BFL), Bakersfield, California, United States and Manda Airport (LAU), Lamu, Kenya would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,809 miles (or 15,786 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 Meadows Field and Manda 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 Meadows Field and Manda Airport. 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 Meadows Field (BFL):

• All current airline flights from Meadows Field are on regional jets or turbo-props.
• The furthest airport from Meadows Field (BFL) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,406 miles (18,356 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The terminal previously had an onsite motel, "Skyway Inn," and a restaurant, "Skyway Steakhouse".
• Service was expensive compared to nearby airports, and normally ran during inconvenient times.
• Because of Meadows Field's relatively low elevation of 510 feet, planes can take off or land at Meadows Field 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.
• In addition to being known as "Meadows Field", another name for BFL is "Kern County Airport No. 1".
• With the development of commercial air service Bakersfield needed a purpose-built commercial airport.
• Federal Aviation Administration records show 141,847 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 103,067 enplanements in 2009, and 111,699 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Meadows Field (BFL) is Shafter Airport (MIT), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) WNW of BFL.
• Meadows Field (BFL) has 2 runways.
• In late 1943 the United States Army Air Forces acquired usage rights to Meadows Field.

Facts about Manda Airport (LAU):

• Its location is approximately 450 kilometres, by air, southeast of Nairobi International Airport, the country's largest civilian airport.
• The closest airport to Manda Airport (LAU) is Kiwayu Airport (KWY), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NE of LAU.
• The furthest airport from Manda Airport (LAU) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,607 miles (18,679 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• On 14 October 2003 at about 9.00 am, local time, a Cessna 208 Caravan I owned ans operated by Airkenya Express, with one pilot and no passengers, took off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, headed for Manda Airport in Lamu, approximately 450 kilometres, by air, to the southeast.
• Manda Airport (LAU) has 2 runways.
• Because of Manda Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Manda 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.