Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Sfax, Tunisia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA), Sfax, Tunisia would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,350 miles (or 2,173 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 MoD St Athan and Sfax–Thyna International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

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.
• In March 2004, however, DARA announced the loss of 550 jobs at St Athan as part of streamlining to make DARA more efficient and better able to compete with the private sector for lucrative aircraft repair contracts, but also because they lost out to a direct RAF bid for a contract to upgrade the air force's fleet of ageing Harrier jump jet aircraft.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012.
• RAF St Athan has been used to house a number of army units throughout its life and, in 2003, the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards moved from Aldershot to St Athan - the first time they have been based in Wales since they were formed in 1915.
• 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 station officially opened as RAF St Athan on 1 September 1938 and the first unit to take up residence was No 4 School of Technical Training.
• 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.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.

Facts about Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA):

• In addition to being known as "Sfax–Thyna International Airport", other names for SFA include "Aéroport International de Sfax–Thyna" and "مطار صفاقس الدولي".
• The closest airport to Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Djerba–Zarzis International Airport (DJE), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) S of SFA.
• Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport has the head office of Syphax Airlines.
• With a capacity of 200,000 passengers per year, the current terminal covers 2,000 m2.
• The furthest airport from Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,702 miles (18,833 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Sfax–Thyna International Airport's relatively low elevation of 85 feet, planes can take off or land at Sfax–Thyna 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.