Nonstop flight route between East London, South Africa and Covilhã, Portugal:
Departure Airport:
(33°2'5"S by 27°49'17"E)
Arrival Airport:
(40°15'52"N by 7°28'48"W)
Distance from ELS to COV:
5,543.18 miles (8,920.86 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- ELS Airport Information
- COV Airport Information
- Facts about ELS
- Facts about COV
- Map of Nearest Airports to ELS
- List of Nearest Airports to ELS
- Map of Furthest Airports from ELS
- List of Furthest Airports from ELS
- Map of Nearest Airports to COV
- List of Nearest Airports to COV
- Map of Furthest Airports from COV
- List of Furthest Airports from COV
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between East London Airport (ELS), East London, South Africa and Covilhã Airport (COV), Covilhã, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,543 miles (or 8,921 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 East London Airport and Covilhã 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 East London Airport and Covilhã Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | ELS / FAEL |
| Airport Name: | East London Airport |
| Location: | East London, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°2'5"S by 27°49'17"E |
| Area Served: | East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 436 feet (133 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ELS |
| More Information: | ELS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | COV / LPCV |
| Airport Name: | Covilhã Airport |
| Location: | Covilhã, Portugal |
| GPS Coordinates: | 40°15'52"N by 7°28'48"W |
| Elevation: | 1572 feet (479 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from COV |
| More Information: | COV Maps & Info |
Facts about East London Airport (ELS):
- The closest airport to East London Airport (ELS) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) WSW of ELS.
- Because of East London Airport's relatively low elevation of 436 feet, planes can take off or land at East London 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.
- East London Airport (ELS) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from East London Airport (ELS) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,569 miles (18,618 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
- The airport had an inauspicious beginning in 1927, when Lieut Colonel Alistair Miller asked the East London town council to help establish a municipal aerodrome at Woodbrook, west of the city.
- East London Airport resides at an elevation of 435 feet above mean sea level.
- In 1965 the airport was again moved, this time to its present site, 9 km west of the city centre.
Facts about Covilhã Airport (COV):
- Covilhã Airport (COV) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Covilhã Airport (COV) is Takaka Aerodrome (KTF), which is nearly antipodal to Covilhã Airport (meaning Covilhã Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Takaka Aerodrome), and is located 12,390 miles (19,940 kilometers) away in Takaka, New Zealand.
- The closest airport to Covilhã Airport (COV) is Coimbra Airport (CBP), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) W of COV.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 65.15 miles (104.85 km) WSW | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa |     |
| 2 | 114.31 miles (183.96 km) NNE | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 3 | 143.28 miles (230.59 km) WSW | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 4 | 210.82 miles (339.28 km) NE | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 5 | 221.32 miles (356.17 km) N | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 6 | 222.73 miles (358.45 km) NNE | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 7 | 226.04 miles (363.78 km) N | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 8 | 228.78 miles (368.18 km) N | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 9 | 247.37 miles (398.09 km) N | Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) | Maseru, Lesotho | |
| 10 | 269.67 miles (433.99 km) NNE | Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) | Mokhotlong, Lesotho | |
| 11 | 279.14 miles (449.23 km) NNE | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 12 | 286.72 miles (461.43 km) NNW | Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) | Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa | |
| 13 | 289.10 miles (465.25 km) N | Leribe Airport (LRB) | Leribe, Lesotho | |
| 14 | 305.60 miles (491.81 km) NE | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 15 | 320.45 miles (515.72 km) WSW | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,568.58 miles (18,617.79 km) NNE | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 11,567.16 miles (18,615.49 km) NNE | Princeville Airport (HPV) | Hanalei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 11,563.78 miles (18,610.05 km) NNE | Dillingham Airfield (HDH) | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 11,562.20 miles (18,607.51 km) NNE | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 11,561.78 miles (18,606.84 km) NNE | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 11,558.95 miles (18,602.28 km) NNE | Hana Airport (HNM) | Hana, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 11,558.59 miles (18,601.70 km) NNE | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 11,558.30 miles (18,601.24 km) NNE | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 11,556.31 miles (18,598.04 km) NNE | Lihue Airport (LIH) | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 11,554.09 miles (18,594.46 km) NNE | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 11,554.09 miles (18,594.46 km) NNE | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 11,549.72 miles (18,587.42 km) NNE | Kalaeloa Airport (NAX) | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 11,545.26 miles (18,580.25 km) NNE | PMRF Barking Sands (BKH) | Kekaha, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 11,543.40 miles (18,577.26 km) NNE | Port Allen Airport (PAK) | Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 11,541.15 miles (18,573.63 km) NNE | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 52.77 miles (84.93 km) W | Coimbra Airport (CBP) | Coimbra, Portugal | |
| 2 | 71.09 miles (114.41 km) N | Vila Real Airport (VRL) | Vila Real, Portugal | |
| 3 | 91.82 miles (147.78 km) NW | Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) | Porto, Portugal | |
| 4 | 101.16 miles (162.80 km) SSE | Badajoz Airport (BJZ) | Badajoz, Spain | |
| 5 | 104.32 miles (167.89 km) NNW | Braga Airport (BGZ) | Braga, Portugal | |
| 6 | 114.10 miles (183.63 km) ENE | Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) | Salamanca, Spain | |
| 7 | 117.12 miles (188.49 km) NNE | Bragança Airport (BGC) | Bragança, Portugal | |
| 8 | 135.57 miles (218.17 km) SW | Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) | Lisbon, Portugal | |
| 9 | 148.24 miles (238.57 km) NNW | Vigo Airport (VGO) | Vigo, Galicia, Spain | |
| 10 | 152.96 miles (246.16 km) S | Beja Airport (BYJ) | Beja, Portugal | |
| 11 | 169.42 miles (272.65 km) NE | Valladolid International Airport (VLL) | Valladolid, Spain | |
| 12 | 186.32 miles (299.86 km) NNE | León Airport (LEN) | León, Spain | |
| 13 | 188.14 miles (302.79 km) NNW | Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) | Santiago de Compostela, Spain | |
| 14 | 206.79 miles (332.80 km) E | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport[1] (MAD) | Madrid, Spain | |
| 15 | 210.75 miles (339.17 km) ESE | Ciudad Real Central Airport (CQM) | Ciudad Real, Spain | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,390.18 miles (19,940.01 km) SSW | Takaka Aerodrome (KTF) | Takaka, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 12,372.49 miles (19,911.55 km) SSW | Motueka Aerodrome (MZP) | Motueka, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 12,356.51 miles (19,885.83 km) SSW | Nelson AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Whakatū (NSN) | Nelson, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 12,325.10 miles (19,835.28 km) SW | Woodbourne Airport (BHE) | Blenheim, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 12,323.84 miles (19,833.24 km) SSE | Westport Airport (WSZ) | Westport, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 12,313.00 miles (19,815.81 km) SW | New Plymouth Airport (NPL) | New Plymouth, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 12,302.78 miles (19,799.36 km) W | Wanganui Airport (WAG) | Wanganui, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 12,299.90 miles (19,794.73 km) WSW | Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) | Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 12,296.53 miles (19,789.29 km) WSW | Wellington International Airport (WLG) | Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 12,277.33 miles (19,758.40 km) SSW | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 12,273.55 miles (19,752.31 km) W | Palmerston North Airport (PMR) | Palmerston North, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 12,270.08 miles (19,746.72 km) SSE | Greymouth Airport (GMN) | Greymouth, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 12,266.32 miles (19,740.67 km) WSW | Hood Aerodrome (MRO) | Masterton, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 12,249.89 miles (19,714.24 km) SSE | Hokitika Airport (HKK) | Hokitika, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 12,219.54 miles (19,665.39 km) WSW | Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) | Taupo, New Zealand | |