Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Qingshan, China:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(27°59'21"N by 102°11'3"E)
Distance from FFD to XIC:
5,275.26 miles (8,489.69 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- XIC Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about XIC
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to XIC
- List of Nearest Airports to XIC
- Map of Furthest Airports from XIC
- List of Furthest Airports from XIC
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC), Qingshan, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,275 miles (or 8,490 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 RAF Fairford and Xichang Qingshan 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 RAF Fairford and Xichang Qingshan Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | XIC / ZUXC |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Qingshan, China |
| GPS Coordinates: | 27°59'21"N by 102°11'3"E |
| Area Served: | Xichang |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 5112 feet (1,558 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from XIC |
| More Information: | XIC Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- 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.
- The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
- Due to RAF Fairford's location and infrastructure, the airfield is designated as a forward operating location for the US Air Force.
- 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.
- In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
- On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
Facts about Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC):
- Because of Xichang Qingshan Airport's high elevation of 5,112 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at XIC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make XIC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The furthest airport from Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC) is La Florida Airport (LSC), which is nearly antipodal to Xichang Qingshan Airport (meaning Xichang Qingshan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from La Florida Airport), and is located 12,015 miles (19,337 kilometers) away in La Serena, Chile.
- Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Xichang Qingshan Airport", other names for XIC include "西昌青山机场" and "Xīchāng Qīngshān Jīchǎng".
- The closest airport to Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC) is Zhaotong Airport (ZAT), which is located 107 miles (171 kilometers) ESE of XIC.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 106.52 miles (171.42 km) ESE | Zhaotong Airport (ZAT) | Zhaotong, Yunnan, China | |
| 2 | 149.50 miles (240.59 km) SW | Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) | Lijiang City, Yunnan, China | |
| 3 | 153.70 miles (247.35 km) W | Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG) | Shangri-La, Yunnan, China | |
| 4 | 154.00 miles (247.83 km) ENE | Yibin Caiba Airport (YBP) | Yibin, Sichuan, China | |
| 5 | 158.71 miles (255.41 km) NW | Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY) | Daocheng, Sichuan, China | |
| 6 | 196.62 miles (316.42 km) ESE | Bijie Feixiong Airport (BFJ) | Guizhou Province, China | |
| 7 | 198.33 miles (319.17 km) SW | Dali Airport (DLU) | Dali, Yunnan, China | |
| 8 | 203.78 miles (327.95 km) ENE | Luzhou Lantian Airport (LZO) | Luzhou, Sichuan, China | |
| 9 | 204.73 miles (329.48 km) SSE | Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) | Kunming, Yunnan, China | |
| 10 | 208.04 miles (334.81 km) NNE | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | |
| 11 | 256.33 miles (412.52 km) ESE | Anshun Huangguoshu Airport (AVA) | Anshu, Guizhou Province, China | |
| 12 | 275.50 miles (443.37 km) SW | Baoshan Yunduan Airport (BSD) | Baoshan, Yunnan, China | |
| 13 | 282.88 miles (455.24 km) NNE | Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG) | Mianyang, Sichuan, China | |
| 14 | 295.00 miles (474.75 km) ENE | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) | Chongqing, China | |
| 15 | 295.60 miles (475.72 km) E | Zunyi Xinzhou Airport (ZYI) | Zunyi, Guizhou, China | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,015.31 miles (19,336.72 km) WSW | La Florida Airport (LSC) | La Serena, Chile | |
| 2 | 11,981.33 miles (19,282.03 km) W | Chamonate Airfield (CPO) | Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 3 | 11,979.22 miles (19,278.64 km) WSW | Chañaral Airport (CNR) | Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 4 | 11,928.58 miles (19,197.14 km) WSW | Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR) | El Salvador, Chile | |
| 5 | 11,927.23 miles (19,194.96 km) SW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 6 | 11,881.04 miles (19,120.63 km) WSW | Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (former Cerro Moreno International Airport) (ANF) | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| 7 | 11,876.86 miles (19,113.90 km) SW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 8 | 11,866.53 miles (19,097.27 km) SW | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 9 | 11,841.47 miles (19,056.95 km) SW | Carolina Airport (CLN) | Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 10 | 11,820.59 miles (19,023.35 km) WSW | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport (UAQ) | San Juan Province, Argentina | |
| 11 | 11,803.94 miles (18,996.56 km) SW | Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (MDZ) | Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Argentina | |
| 12 | 11,769.82 miles (18,941.65 km) SSW | Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) | Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile | |
| 13 | 11,762.94 miles (18,930.57 km) WSW | El Loa Airport (CJC) | Calama, Antofagasta Region, Chile | |
| 14 | 11,762.23 miles (18,929.43 km) W | Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport (IRJ) | La Rioja, Argentina | |
| 15 | 11,754.02 miles (18,916.22 km) SSW | General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) | Chillán, Ñuble, Chile | |