Nonstop flight route between Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Murcia, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV), Murcia, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,689 miles (or 7,547 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 Murcia–San Javier 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 Murcia–San Javier 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):

• The Des Moines Terminal has 2 concourses.
• 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.
• The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
• 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.
• On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.
• 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.
• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
• Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.

Facts about Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV):

• Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Murcia–San Javier Airport", another name for MJV is "Aeropuerto de Murcia-San Javier".
• Because of Murcia–San Javier Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Murcia–San Javier 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 furthest airport from Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) is Gisborne Airport (GIS), which is nearly antipodal to Murcia–San Javier Airport (meaning Murcia–San Javier Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Gisborne Airport), and is located 12,347 miles (19,870 kilometers) away in Gisborne, New Zealand.
• In light of the development of the new International airport of the Region of Murcia in Corvera, and despite the recent investment of €60 million in a new runway and commercial terminal buildings, in November 2011 the Minister of Public Works Antonio Sevilla, and Secretary of State for Transport Isaías Táboas, signed an official agreement that effectively proposed to close the airport to commercial traffic from summer 2012.
• The closest airport to Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) is Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) NNE of MJV.