Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Sana'a, Yemen:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (SAH), Sana'a, Yemen would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,604 miles (or 5,799 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 MoD St Athan and El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International), 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 MoD St Athan and El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International). 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 MoD St Athan (DGX):

• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The two cadet passengers were cousins and were named as Katie Jo Davies, 15, and Nikitta Walters, 14.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The training to be carried out at St Athan was to be specialist phase 2 and phase 3 engineering courses of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• During the war a dummy airfield was built using wood and cardboard a few miles west of the original airfield and successful efforts were made to hide the proper field.

Facts about El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (SAH):

• El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (SAH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (SAH) is Pukarua Airport (PUK), which is nearly antipodal to El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (meaning El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pukarua Airport), and is located 12,226 miles (19,675 kilometers) away in Pukarua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International)", another name for SAH is "مطار صنعاء الدولي".
• The closest airport to El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International) (SAH) is Hodeida International Airport (HOD), which is located 97 miles (156 kilometers) WSW of SAH.
• Because of El Rahaba Airport (Sana'a International)'s high elevation of 7,216 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SAH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SAH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.