Nonstop flight route between Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from DSM to XQU:
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- About this route
- DSM Airport Information
- XQU Airport Information
- Facts about DSM
- Facts about XQU
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to XQU
- List of Nearest Airports to XQU
- Map of Furthest Airports from XQU
- List of Furthest Airports from XQU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Qualicum Beach Airport (XQU), Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,571 miles (or 2,529 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 Des Moines International Airport and Qualicum Beach Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | XQU / |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 49°20'13"N by 124°23'38"W |
Operator/Owner: | Town of Qualicum Beach |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 190 feet (58 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from XQU |
More Information: | XQU Maps & Info |
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
- On December 1, 2007, a United Express plane carrying 44 passengers slid off a taxiway while taxiing to the runway for takeoff.
- 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.
- During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- 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 December 18, 2010, a small red Beechcraft Bonanza crashed while performing an emergency landing at DSM.
- In 2011, the City of Des Moines transferred control from the city to the Des Moines Airport Authority.
- 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.
- In 2012, the airport had 1,038,484 enplanementsFederal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 853,596 in 2009 and 932,828 in 2011.
Facts about Qualicum Beach Airport (XQU):
- In addition to being known as "Qualicum Beach Airport", another name for XQU is "CAT4".
- The furthest airport from Qualicum Beach Airport (XQU) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,694 miles (17,211 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- The closest airport to Qualicum Beach Airport (XQU) is Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport (ZNA), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) ESE of XQU.
- Because of Qualicum Beach Airport's relatively low elevation of 190 feet, planes can take off or land at Qualicum Beach 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.
- Qualicum Beach Airport (XQU) currently has only 1 runway.