Nonstop flight route between Carlisle, England, United Kingdom and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX), Carlisle, England, United Kingdom and King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,179 miles (or 9,944 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 Carlisle Lake District Airport and King Shaka International, 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 Carlisle Lake District Airport and King Shaka International. 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 Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX):

• The furthest airport from Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,756 miles (18,919 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX) is Newcastle Airport (NCL), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) E of CAX.
• In October 2009 Andy Judge took over as airport manager.
• The airport is located on a hill side above the River Irthing.
• The airport is also home to the Solway Aviation Museum.
• Originally housing No.59 Operational Training Unit the station provided day training for Hawker Hurricane pilots, which was replaced by OTU17 Group Coastal Command in August 1942 for training long-range fighter crews on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter conversion squadrons, as well as air firing and night flying.
• Because of Carlisle Lake District Airport's relatively low elevation of 190 feet, planes can take off or land at Carlisle Lake District 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.
• In 1997, the council agreed to extend the runway to allow Boeing 737's to land into a new air-cargo hub, but the proposal collapsed.

Facts about King Shaka International (DUR):

• On 8 December 2009, it was reported that "King Shaka International Airport" was indeed the most popular name for the new airport.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• The arrivals area is located on the lower floor, with a baggage reclaim hall containing 5 conveyors that can be allocated between domestic and international use.
• The final obstacle was a delay in the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
• King Shaka International Airport was first conceptualised in the 1970s, with construction beginning in 1973.
• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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.
• Despite wide expectations that the airport would be named "King Shaka International Airport", it emerged in October 2009 that the airport needed to undergo a formal naming process.