Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Jiayuguan, Gansu, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Jiayuguan Airport (JGN), Jiayuguan, Gansu, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,450 miles (or 10,380 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 Jiayuguan 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 Jiayuguan 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 (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• Construction of the airport commenced on 24 August 2007, immediately after the approval of the EIA.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mount Moreland, a small community located 2.6 km south of the airport, is an important roosting site for the European Barn Swallow.

Facts about Jiayuguan Airport (JGN):

• Because of Jiayuguan Airport's high elevation of 5,112 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at JGN. Combined with a high temperature, this could make JGN a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Jiayuguan Airport", other names for JGN include "嘉峪关机场" and "Jiāyùguān Jīchǎng".
• Jiayuguan Airport (JGN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Jiayuguan Airport (JGN) is Zhangye Ganzhou Airport (YZY), which is located 144 miles (232 kilometers) ESE of JGN.
• The furthest airport from Jiayuguan Airport (JGN) is Pupelde Airfield (ZUD), which is nearly antipodal to Jiayuguan Airport (meaning Jiayuguan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pupelde Airfield), and is located 12,003 miles (19,316 kilometers) away in Ancud, Los Lagos Region, Chile.