Nonstop flight route between Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Cardiff Airport (CWL), Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom and King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,265 miles (or 5,255 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 Cardiff Airport and King Abdulaziz Air Base, 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 Cardiff Airport and King Abdulaziz Air Base. 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 Cardiff Airport (CWL):

• The 2010 accounts quoted the net worth of Cardiff Airport Ltd to be £34,311,000.
• In addition to being known as "Cardiff Airport", another name for CWL is "Maes Awyr Caerdydd".
• Because of Cardiff Airport's relatively low elevation of 220 feet, planes can take off or land at Cardiff 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 closest airport to Cardiff Airport (CWL) is MoD St Athan (DGX), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) W of CWL.
• Cardiff Airport was owned by a private company Cardiff International Airport Limited which, in turn was wholly owned by TBI Ltd a former public company which is 90% owned by the Spanish conglomerate Abertis and 10% by Aena International - the world's largest airport operator.
• Cardiff Airport (CWL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport was the main base for three local airlines.
• The airport is not only the main maintenance base for British Airways but also home to a variety of aerospace-oriented firms and colleges, and therefore a major contributor to the economic development of the region.
• The furthest airport from Cardiff Airport (CWL) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,958 miles (19,244 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• In early December 2013 Flybe announced it would drop its Paris and Glasgow services with effect from January 2014.
• Cardiff Airport handled 1,072,062 passengers last year.
• Also in 1952 Aer Lingus started a service to Dublin.

Facts about King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA):

• In addition to being known as "King Abdulaziz Air Base", other names for DHA include "قاعدة الملك عبد العزيز الجوية", "Dhahran International Airport" and "مطار الظهران الدولي".
• Because of King Abdulaziz Air Base's relatively low elevation of 84 feet, planes can take off or land at King Abdulaziz Air Base 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.
• King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) has 2 runways.
• The airport terminal building is one of the architectural works of Minoru Yamasaki, and was completed in 1961.
• The closest airport to King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) is King Fahd International Airport (DMM), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) WNW of DHA.
• http://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/HistoricalVignettes/HolidaysObservances/083SaudiGovernment.aspx
• The furthest airport from King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to King Abdulaziz Air Base (meaning King Abdulaziz Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,052 miles (19,395 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.