Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Ciudad Real, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM), Ciudad Real, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,243 miles (or 8,437 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 King Shaka International and Ciudad Real Central 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 King Shaka International and Ciudad Real Central 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 King Shaka International (DUR):

• The terminal does not have a public viewing deck, which has attracted public criticism.
• The furthest airport from King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• King Shaka International Airport was first conceptualised in the 1970s, with construction beginning in 1973.
• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• It is unclear what the fate of the existing Durban International Airport will be now that KSIA is complete.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• Despite wide expectations that the airport would be named "King Shaka International Airport", it emerged in October 2009 that the airport needed to undergo a formal naming process.
• As a result, a study into the risks of bird strikes at KSIA was commissioned, with special attention being paid to the Barn Swallows at Mount Moreland.

Facts about Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM):

• The furthest airport from Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM) is Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO), which is nearly antipodal to Ciudad Real Central Airport (meaning Ciudad Real Central Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō), and is located 12,428 miles (20,001 kilometers) away in Taupo, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM) is Córdoba Airport (ODB), which is located 84 miles (136 kilometers) SW of CQM.
• Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2012, Academy Award-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar shot portions of his film I'm So Excited!
• As of 1 June 2012, the instrument approaches have been removed from the official documentation.
• In April 2012, the airport was closed after just three years in operation, its management company having gone into receivership.
• In addition to being known as "Ciudad Real Central Airport", other names for CQM include "Aeropuerto Central Ciudad Real" and "CQM [1]".