Nonstop flight route between East London, South Africa and Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from ELS to LSI:
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- About this route
- ELS Airport Information
- LSI Airport Information
- Facts about ELS
- Facts about LSI
- 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 LSI
- List of Nearest Airports to LSI
- Map of Furthest Airports from LSI
- List of Furthest Airports from LSI
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between East London Airport (ELS), East London, South Africa and Sumburgh Airport (LSI), Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,631 miles (or 10,672 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 Sumburgh 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 Sumburgh 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: | LSI / EGPB |
Airport Name: | Sumburgh Airport |
Location: | Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom |
GPS Coordinates: | 59°52'53"N by 1°17'38"W |
Area Served: | Shetland |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 21 feet (6 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LSI |
More Information: | LSI Maps & Info |
Facts about East London Airport (ELS):
- 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.
- In 1965 the airport was again moved, this time to its present site, 9 km west of the city centre.
- 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 is an airport serving East London, a city in the Eastern Cape province on the southeast coast of South Africa.
- East London's airport is a small but bustling one that plays an important role in the growing economy of the Eastern Cape.
- East London Airport (ELS) has 2 runways.
Facts about Sumburgh Airport (LSI):
- The furthest airport from Sumburgh Airport (LSI) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,442 miles (18,414 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
- Sumburgh Airport (LSI) has 2 runways.
- The former RAF Sumburgh airfield had two runways, the longest being 800 yd, and the shorter running a length of 600 yd from shore-line to shore-line.
- On 1 April 1995, ownership of the Company transferred from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to the Secretary of State for Scotland and subsequently to the Scottish Ministers.
- Sumburgh Links was surveyed and the grass strips laid out by Capt.
- The closest airport to Sumburgh Airport (LSI) is Tingwall Airport (LWK), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) N of LSI.
- Because of Sumburgh Airport's relatively low elevation of 21 feet, planes can take off or land at Sumburgh 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.