Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from DUR to RIA:
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- About this route
- DUR Airport Information
- RIA Airport Information
- Facts about DUR
- Facts about RIA
- Map of Nearest Airports to DUR
- List of Nearest Airports to DUR
- Map of Furthest Airports from DUR
- List of Furthest Airports from DUR
- Map of Nearest Airports to RIA
- List of Nearest Airports to RIA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RIA
- List of Furthest Airports from RIA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Santa Maria Airport (RIA), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,957 miles (or 7,977 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 Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | DUR / FALE |
| Airport Name: | King Shaka International |
| Location: | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 29°37'0"S by 31°6'29"E |
| Area Served: | Durban, South Africa |
| Operator/Owner: | Dube Tradeport Company |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 295 feet (90 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DUR |
| More Information: | DUR Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RIA / SBSM |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| GPS Coordinates: | 29°42'38"S by 53°41'31"W |
| Area Served: | Santa Maria |
| Operator/Owner: | Brazilian Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Public/Military |
| Elevation: | 289 feet (88 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RIA |
| More Information: | RIA Maps & Info |
Facts about King Shaka International (DUR):
- King Shaka International Airport, also known as La Mercy Airport, and abbreviated KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 check-in concourse, located on the upper floor, contains 72 check-in counters and 18 self-service kiosks, as well as ticket offices for the various airlines operating out of the airport.
- Although the larger airport was built to grow the area's international services, it is also a key airport for domestic services throughout South Africa, serving the "Golden Triangle" between Cape Town International Airport, OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, and KSIA itself with 7 airlines.
- The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
- 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.
- 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 Santa Maria Airport (RIA):
- It is operated by the Brazilian Air Force.
- Santa Maria Airport (RIA) has 2 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Airport", another name for RIA is "Aeroporto de Santa Maria".
- The airport is located 11 km east of downtown Santa Maria.
- Because of Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 289 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria 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.
- Since 1971, with the creation of the Santa Maria Air Force Base, civil and military facilities are shared.
- The furthest airport from Santa Maria Airport (RIA) is Aguni Airport (AGJ), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Maria Airport (meaning Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aguni Airport), and is located 12,214 miles (19,656 kilometers) away in Aguni, Japan.
- The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (RIA) is João Batista Bos Filho Airport (IJU), which is located 93 miles (150 kilometers) N of RIA.
