Nonstop flight route between East London, South Africa and Zhaotong, Yunnan, China:
Departure Airport:
(33°2'5"S by 27°49'17"E)
Arrival Airport:
(27°19'40"N by 103°45'24"E)
Distance from ELS to ZAT:
6,492.86 miles (10,449.22 km)
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- ELS Airport Information
- ZAT Airport Information
- Facts about ELS
- Facts about ZAT
- 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 ZAT
- List of Nearest Airports to ZAT
- Map of Furthest Airports from ZAT
- List of Furthest Airports from ZAT
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between East London Airport (ELS), East London, South Africa and Zhaotong Airport (ZAT), Zhaotong, Yunnan, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,493 miles (or 10,449 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 Zhaotong 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 Zhaotong 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: | ZAT / ZPZT |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Zhaotong, Yunnan, China |
| GPS Coordinates: | 27°19'40"N by 103°45'24"E |
| Area Served: | Zhaotong, Yunnan |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| View all routes: | Routes from ZAT |
| More Information: | ZAT Maps & Info |
Facts about East London Airport (ELS):
- 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.
- Passenger flights were undertaken by two de Havilland Moth planes on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays, weather permitting.
- East London Airport (ELS) has 2 runways.
- East London Airport resides at an elevation of 435 feet above mean sea level.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Zhaotong Airport (ZAT):
- In addition to being known as "Zhaotong Airport", other names for ZAT include "昭通机场" and "Zhāotōng Jīchǎng".
- The closest airport to Zhaotong Airport (ZAT) is Bijie Feixiong Airport (BFJ), which is located 95 miles (153 kilometers) E of ZAT.
- The furthest airport from Zhaotong Airport (ZAT) is Chañaral Airport (CNR), which is nearly antipodal to Zhaotong Airport (meaning Zhaotong Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chañaral Airport), and is located 12,083 miles (19,445 kilometers) away in Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile.
| 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 | 94.85 miles (152.64 km) E | Bijie Feixiong Airport (BFJ) | Guizhou Province, China | |
| 2 | 106.52 miles (171.42 km) WNW | Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC) | Qingshan, China | |
| 3 | 112.51 miles (181.06 km) NNE | Yibin Caiba Airport (YBP) | Yibin, Sichuan, China | |
| 4 | 145.01 miles (233.36 km) NE | Luzhou Lantian Airport (LZO) | Luzhou, Sichuan, China | |
| 5 | 149.91 miles (241.26 km) ESE | Anshun Huangguoshu Airport (AVA) | Anshu, Guizhou Province, China | |
| 6 | 162.12 miles (260.90 km) SSW | Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) | Kunming, Yunnan, China | |
| 7 | 195.28 miles (314.27 km) ESE | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport (KWE) | Guiyang, Guizhou, China | |
| 8 | 199.65 miles (321.30 km) E | Zunyi Xinzhou Airport (ZYI) | Zunyi, Guizhou, China | |
| 9 | 220.72 miles (355.21 km) W | Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) | Lijiang City, Yunnan, China | |
| 10 | 224.89 miles (361.92 km) N | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | |
| 11 | 240.76 miles (387.46 km) NE | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) | Chongqing, China | |
| 12 | 242.12 miles (389.65 km) WSW | Dali Airport (DLU) | Dali, Yunnan, China | |
| 13 | 251.92 miles (405.43 km) W | Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG) | Shangri-La, Yunnan, China | |
| 14 | 260.82 miles (419.74 km) E | Kaili Huangping Airport (KJH) | Kaili, Guizhou, China | |
| 15 | 262.56 miles (422.54 km) S | Wenshan Puzhehei Airport (WNH) | Wenshan, Yunnan, China | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,082.61 miles (19,445.02 km) W | Chañaral Airport (CNR) | Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 2 | 12,082.51 miles (19,444.87 km) WSW | La Florida Airport (LSC) | La Serena, Chile | |
| 3 | 12,078.96 miles (19,439.15 km) W | Chamonate Airfield (CPO) | Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 4 | 12,031.28 miles (19,362.41 km) W | Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR) | El Salvador, Chile | |
| 5 | 11,986.37 miles (19,290.14 km) SW | Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (former Cerro Moreno International Airport) (ANF) | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| 6 | 11,955.34 miles (19,240.21 km) SW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 7 | 11,945.57 miles (19,224.48 km) SW | Carolina Airport (CLN) | Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 8 | 11,906.46 miles (19,161.55 km) SW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 9 | 11,880.91 miles (19,120.42 km) SW | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport (UAQ) | San Juan Province, Argentina | |
| 10 | 11,880.80 miles (19,120.24 km) SSW | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 11 | 11,868.43 miles (19,100.34 km) SW | El Loa Airport (CJC) | Calama, Antofagasta Region, Chile | |
| 12 | 11,851.42 miles (19,072.96 km) SW | Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (MDZ) | Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Argentina | |
| 13 | 11,845.29 miles (19,063.10 km) WSW | Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport (IRJ) | La Rioja, Argentina | |
| 14 | 11,831.39 miles (19,040.72 km) SW | Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ) | Iquique, Chile | |
| 15 | 11,790.74 miles (18,975.31 km) W | Coronel Felipe Varela International Airport (CTC) | Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina | |