Nonstop flight route between Damascus, Syria and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Damascus International Airport (DAM), Damascus, Syria and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,346 miles (or 3,775 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 relatively short distance between Damascus International Airport and MoD St Athan, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Damascus International Airport (DAM):

• Since the onset of the Syrian civil war, the airport and the road leading to it have been closed intermittently, and all international airlines have ceased flights.
• In addition to being known as "Damascus International Airport", another name for DAM is "مطار دمشق الدولي".
• Damascus International Airport handled 5,500,000 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Damascus International Airport (DAM) is Kiryat Shmona Airport (KSW), which is located 55 miles (88 kilometers) WSW of DAM.
• Damascus International Airport (DAM) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Damascus International Airport (DAM) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,553 miles (18,592 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• In March 2003 it was confirmed that a new hi-tech maintenance centre would be built, creating 3,300 jobs.
• The only squadrons to operate out of St Athan on a regular basis are the University of Wales Air Squadron, flying Grob Tutors and No 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron using Vigilant T.1s.
• St Athan also became the major RAF maintenance base for Vulcan, Victor, Buccaner, Phantom, Harrier, Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and VC10 aircraft, originally under direct RAF control, but latterly under the auspices of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.
• The furthest airport from MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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 MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.