Nonstop flight route between Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BIF to PZB:
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- About this route
- BIF Airport Information
- PZB Airport Information
- Facts about BIF
- Facts about PZB
- Map of Nearest Airports to BIF
- List of Nearest Airports to BIF
- Map of Furthest Airports from BIF
- List of Furthest Airports from BIF
- Map of Nearest Airports to PZB
- List of Nearest Airports to PZB
- Map of Furthest Airports from PZB
- List of Furthest Airports from PZB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,883 miles (or 15,905 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 Biggs Army Airfield and Pietermaritzburg 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 Biggs Army Airfield and Pietermaritzburg Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BIF / KBIF |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 31°50'57"N by 106°22'47"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 3946 feet (1,203 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BIF |
| More Information: | BIF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PZB / FAPM |
| Airport Name: | Pietermaritzburg Airport |
| Location: | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 29°38'48"S by 30°23'53"E |
| Area Served: | Pietermaritzburg |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 2423 feet (739 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PZB |
| More Information: | PZB Maps & Info |
Facts about Biggs Army Airfield (BIF):
- With the activation of TAC, the new command assigned Headquarters, Ninth Air Force to Biggs on 28 March upon its return from Germany.
- Between the two World Wars, Biggs served as a refueling stop for transient aircraft.
- In April 1943, the airfield came under the command of the Second Air Force and became headquarters for the XX Bomber Command.
- Along with the B-50-equipped 97th Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command established the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs in June 1952 and planned to base its heavy B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber at the base.
- The furthest airport from Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,387 miles (18,325 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is El Paso International Airport (ELP), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) S of BIF.
- On 27 September 1947, Biggs Army Airfield became Biggs Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force, replacing the Army Air Forces.
- In addition to being known as "Biggs Army Airfield", another name for BIF is "Biggs Air Force BaseBiggs Field".
- Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB):
- The furthest airport from Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,706 miles (18,839 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) is King Shaka International (DUR), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) E of PZB.
- Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) currently has only 1 runway.
