Nonstop flight route between Colombo, Sri Lanka and Xi'an, Shaanxi, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Colombo, Sri Lanka and Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA), Xi'an, Shaanxi, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,644 miles (or 4,255 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 Bandaranaike International Airport and Xi'an Xiguan 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 Bandaranaike International Airport and Xi'an Xiguan 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 Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB):

• Bandaranaike International Airport handled 7,328,798 passengers last year.
• In the early 1990s the position of the airport's runway was shifted northward and the old runway was made into a taxiway for departing and arriving aircraft.
• It was named after former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, in 1970.
• In 1964 Anil Moonesinghe, the Cabinet Minister of Communications, started the building of a new international airport to replace Ratmalana, with Canadian aid.
• The second stage will involve the acquisition of 600 hectares of public land, the construction of a runway capable of accommodating new-generation airplanes, an aircraft repair and maintenance center, an arrival and a departure terminal, a shopping arcade, a cargo complex connected to the airport by rail and a multistory car park.
• Because of Bandaranaike International Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Bandaranaike 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.
• Bandaranaike International Airport is equipped with 6 double jetway gates in preparation for airlines introducing Airbus A380 service.
• Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Bandaranaike International Airport", another name for CMB is "බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළபண்டாரநாயக்க பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• The furthest airport from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,614 miles (18,691 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• Bandaranaike International Airport is one of the two international airports serving the city of Colombo, the other is Ratmalana Airport.
• The second phase of the expansion project is being carried out with Japanese assistance and is expected to be completed by 2015.
• On 7 November 1971 the first Boeing 747 landing took place, the Boeing 747-200B was operated by Condor was carrying German tourists from Frankfurt.
• The closest airport to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is Ratmalana Airport (RML), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) S of CMB.

Facts about Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA):

• In addition to being known as "Xi'an Xiguan Airport", other names for SIA include "西安西关机场" and "Xī'ān Xīguān Jīchǎng".
• The closest airport to Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA) is Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) WNW of SIA.
• Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA) is La Unión Airport (LUI), which is nearly antipodal to Xi'an Xiguan Airport (meaning Xi'an Xiguan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from La Unión Airport), and is located 12,392 miles (19,943 kilometers) away in La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed].