Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Chu Lai, Quang Nam, Vietnam:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Chu Lai Airport (VCL), Chu Lai, Quang Nam, Vietnam would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,025 miles (or 9,697 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 Chu Lai 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 Chu Lai 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 project was then hit by a tender war between the Illembe consortium and the Indiza consortium.
• 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.
• 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.
• Construction of the airport commenced on 24 August 2007, immediately after the approval of the EIA.
• In response to the study, ACSA contracted De-Tect Inc.
• 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.
• Mount Moreland, a small community located 2.6 km south of the airport, is an important roosting site for the European Barn Swallow.
• 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.

Facts about Chu Lai Airport (VCL):

• In the Vietnam War, this airfield was an airbase of the United States Marines.
• The furthest airport from Chu Lai Airport (VCL) is Rodríguez Ballón International Airport (AQP), which is nearly antipodal to Chu Lai Airport (meaning Chu Lai Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rodríguez Ballón International Airport), and is located 12,369 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Arequipa, Peru.
• In addition to being known as "Chu Lai Airport", other names for VCL include "Sân bay Chu Lai" and "VVCA".
• The closest airport to Chu Lai Airport (VCL) is Đà Nẵng International Airport (DAD), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) NW of VCL.
• The government of Vietnam has approved an investment plan for this airport.