Nonstop flight route between Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai, United Arab Emirates and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,475 miles (or 5,592 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 Dubai International Airport and RAF Fairford, 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 Dubai International Airport and RAF Fairford. 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 Dubai International Airport (DXB):

• The inauguration was on 15 May 1966 and was marked by the visits of the first big jets of Middle East Airlines and Kuwait Airways Comets.
• In May 1963 construction of a 9,200 ft asphalt runway started.
• Dubai International Airport handled 66,431,533 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Dubai International Airport (DXB) is Sharjah International Airport (SHJ), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) ENE of DXB.
• During the 1980s, Dubai was a stopping point for airlines such as Air India, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and others travelling between Asia and Europe that needed a refuelling point in the Persian Gulf.
• With the arrival of the Airbus A380, the airport made modifications costing $230 million.
• The airport revealed its future plans in May 2011, which involve construction of a new Concourse D for all airlines currently operating from concourse C.
• Expansion continued in the early 1970s including ILS Category II equipment, lengthening existing runway to 12,500 ft, installation of a non-directional beacon, diesel generators, taxiways, etc.
• Dubai International Airport (DXB) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Dubai International Airport (DXB) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,774 miles (18,948 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Because of Dubai International Airport's relatively low elevation of 62 feet, planes can take off or land at Dubai International 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.
• In addition to being known as "Dubai International Airport", another name for DXB is "مطار دبي الدولي".

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.
• Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England which is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use.
• On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
• RAF Fairford was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK.
• RAF Lyneham's position as the primary tactical transport base for the RAF was emphasised in February 1971 when Nos.
• In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.