Nonstop flight route between Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Cuenca, Ecuador:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE), Cuenca, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,205 miles (or 5,158 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 Des Moines International Airport and Mariscal Lamar 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 Des Moines International Airport and Mariscal Lamar International Airport. 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 Des Moines International Airport (DSM):

• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
• Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
• Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
• As of March 2014, Delta Air Lines handled of DSM passengers, followed by United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.
• The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On March 13, 2008, an Atlanta-bound ASA flight was delayed more than five hours when a mouse was discovered shortly before take-off from DSM.
• The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
• During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
• The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.

Facts about Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE):

• In addition to being known as "Mariscal Lamar International Airport", another name for CUE is "Aeropuerto Mariscal Lamar".
• Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE) is Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) NE of CUE.
• The furthest airport from Mariscal Lamar International Airport (CUE) is Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB), which is nearly antipodal to Mariscal Lamar International Airport (meaning Mariscal Lamar International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport), and is located 12,396 miles (19,950 kilometers) away in Subang (near Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia.
• Because of Mariscal Lamar International Airport's high elevation of 8,306 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CUE. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CUE a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.