Nonstop flight route between Carlisle, England, United Kingdom and Hambantota, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX), Carlisle, England, United Kingdom and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,622 miles (or 9,048 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 Mattala Rajapaksa International 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 Carlisle Lake District Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa International 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 Carlisle Lake District Airport (CAX):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In October 2009 Andy Judge took over as airport manager.
• Carlisle has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction, up to a maximum takeoff weight authorised of 12.5 tonnes.
• As the airport had lost £3.5 million on operations between 1979 and 1994, Carlisle City Council agreed to sell the airport on a 150 year lease to Haughey Airports in 2000.
• Carlisle Lake District Airport does not provide any commercial passenger flights at present, but it is hoped that at some point in the future, Dublin and London flights will be operated by Aer Lingus Regional.
• The airport is also home to the Solway Aviation Museum.

Facts about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):

• The closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Hambantota in southeast Sri Lanka.
• The furthest airport from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,719 miles (18,860 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• The second stage of the HIA project the construction will begin in 2013 and is to be completed by 2016.
• Because of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Mattala Rajapaksa International 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.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Runway dimensions are 3500m * 60m with 7.5m paved shoulders either side and 260m Runway safety area on both runway ends.
• On 16 October 2012, a Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air registered AP-CAB, belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan landed on runway 23 at 12.38 PM local time becoming the first aircraft to land at the new airport as requested by the Rajapaksa regime.