Nonstop flight route between Elcho Island, Northern Territory, Australia and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from ELC to DSM:
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- About this route
- ELC Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about ELC
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to ELC
- List of Nearest Airports to ELC
- Map of Furthest Airports from ELC
- List of Furthest Airports from ELC
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Elcho Island Airport (ELC), Elcho Island, Northern Territory, Australia and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,846 miles (or 14,237 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 Elcho Island Airport and Des Moines International 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 Elcho Island Airport and Des Moines International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | ELC / YELD |
Airport Name: | Elcho Island Airport |
Location: | Elcho Island, Northern Territory, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 12°1'11"S by 135°34'11"E |
Operator/Owner: | Marthakal Yolngu Airline |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 101 feet (31 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from ELC |
More Information: | ELC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Elcho Island Airport (ELC):
- The closest airport to Elcho Island Airport (ELC) is Lake Evella Airport (LEL), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) SSE of ELC.
- Elcho Island Airport (ELC) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Elcho Island Airport (ELC) is Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport (CAY), which is located 11,701 miles (18,831 kilometers) away in Cayenne, French Guiana.
- Because of Elcho Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 101 feet, planes can take off or land at Elcho Island 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.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
- The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
- Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.