Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Monbetsu, Hokkaidō, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (MBE), Monbetsu, Hokkaidō, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,674 miles (or 13,959 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 Okhotsk Monbetsu 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 Okhotsk Monbetsu 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 arrivals area is located on the lower floor, with a baggage reclaim hall containing 5 conveyors that can be allocated between domestic and international use.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 27 January 2014 the worlds largest passenger aircraft, an Airbus A380-800 of British Airways landed at KSIA becoming the first A380 to do so.
• The airport is located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 35 km north of Durban.
• 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 Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (MBE):

• Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (MBE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (MBE) is Memanbetsu Airport (MMB), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) SE of MBE.
• The furthest airport from Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (MBE) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 11,338 miles (18,247 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
• In fiscal year 2008, Monbetsu Airport recorded an operating loss of 273 million yen on total revenues of only 26 million yen, making its operating losses the highest among the six airports operated by the Hokkaido government.
• In addition to being known as "Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport", other names for MBE include "オホーツク紋別空港" and "Ohōtsuku Monbetsu Kūkō".
• Because of Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport's relatively low elevation of 58 feet, planes can take off or land at Okhotsk Monbetsu 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.