Nonstop flight route between Columbia, Missouri, United States and Gaborone, Botswana:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from COU to GBE:
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- About this route
- COU Airport Information
- GBE Airport Information
- Facts about COU
- Facts about GBE
- Map of Nearest Airports to COU
- List of Nearest Airports to COU
- Map of Furthest Airports from COU
- List of Furthest Airports from COU
- Map of Nearest Airports to GBE
- List of Nearest Airports to GBE
- Map of Furthest Airports from GBE
- List of Furthest Airports from GBE
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Columbia Regional Airport (COU), Columbia, Missouri, United States and Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE), Gaborone, Botswana would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,740 miles (or 14,065 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 Columbia Regional Airport and Sir Seretse Khama 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 Columbia Regional Airport and Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | COU / KCOU |
Airport Name: | Columbia Regional Airport |
Location: | Columbia, Missouri, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°49'5"N by 92°13'10"W |
Area Served: | Columbia, Missouri |
Operator/Owner: | City of Columbia |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 889 feet (271 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from COU |
More Information: | COU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GBE / FBSK |
Airport Name: | Sir Seretse Khama International Airport |
Location: | Gaborone, Botswana |
GPS Coordinates: | 24°33'19"S by 25°55'5"E |
Area Served: | Gaborone |
Operator/Owner: | Civil Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 3299 feet (1,006 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GBE |
More Information: | GBE Maps & Info |
Facts about Columbia Regional Airport (COU):
- Because of Columbia Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 889 feet, planes can take off or land at Columbia Regional 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 2013 Federal sequester will result in the closure of the airport's contract control tower and will require pilots to rely on air traffic controllers from other area airports.
- The closest airport to Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is Jefferson City Memorial Airport (JEF), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) SSE of COU.
- The furthest airport from Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,886 miles (17,519 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- In August 2012, Frontier Airlines announced plans to have twice weekly flights from Columbia to Orlando.
- In 2008, Northwest Airlink replaced US Airways Express using Saab 340 aircraft with service to Memphis.
- Columbia Regional Airport (COU) has 2 runways.
Facts about Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE):
- Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) currently has only 1 runway.
- Air Botswana plane at Khama Airport 2011
- The furthest airport from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is nearly antipodal to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (meaning Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hana Airport), and is located 12,149 miles (19,552 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) is Lobatse Airport (LOQ), which is located 46 miles (74 kilometers) SSW of GBE.
- The government of Botswana has started a $61 million expansion plan to further develop the airport to accommodate increased traffic and larger planes.