Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and El Paso, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and El Paso International Airport (ELP), El Paso, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,923 miles (or 15,969 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 El Paso 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 King Shaka International and El Paso 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 King Shaka International (DUR):

• King Shaka International Airport was first conceptualised in the 1970s, with construction beginning in 1973.
• 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.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• The final obstacle was a delay in the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
• Neighbouring communities are Tongaat to the north-west, Verulam to the south-west, and Umdloti to the south-east.
• 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.
• It is unclear what the fate of the existing Durban International Airport will be now that KSIA is complete.
• The cargo terminal is located to the north of the passenger terminal, and is in the approximate centre of the airport precinct.
• The project was revived in the late 1990s when the limitations of Durban International Airport became apparent.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about El Paso International Airport (ELP):

• El Paso International Airport (ELP) has 3 runways.
• The passenger concourses were built in 1971 as part of an expansion that tripled the size of the airport.
• The city of El Paso built the first El Paso Municipal Airport near the east side of the Franklin Mountains in 1928.
• El Paso International Airport handled 3,065,393 passengers last year.
• Serving General Aviation at El Paso International Airport, Cutter Aviation established a Fixed Base Operation in 1982.
• The furthest airport from El Paso International Airport (ELP) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,389 miles (18,329 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• El Paso was the last stop of the first hijacking of a jetliner, a Boeing 707 owned by Continental Airlines.
• In 1934, Varney Speed Lines operated at the old El Paso Municipal Airport.
• The closest airport to El Paso International Airport (ELP) is Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) N of ELP.
• The terminal is a pier-satellite layout.