Nonstop flight route between Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD), Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States and King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,312 miles (or 14,986 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 Fort Dodge Regional Airport and King Shaka International, 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 Fort Dodge Regional Airport and King Shaka International. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD):

• Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,750 miles (17,300 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Great Lakes Airlines announced it will begin service from Fort Dodge to Minneapolis/St.
• As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 6,219 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 5,378 in 2009, and 8,207 in 2010.
• Mesaba Airlines, operating as Delta Connection, formerly had daily service to Minneapolis-St.
• The closest airport to Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) is Humboldt Municipal Airport (HUD), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) NNW of FOD.

Facts about King Shaka International (DUR):

• It is unclear what the fate of the existing Durban International Airport will be now that KSIA is complete.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The final obstacle was a delay in the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
• Construction of the airport commenced on 24 August 2007, immediately after the approval of the EIA.
• The cargo terminal will form one component of the Dube TradePort's TradeZone Precinct, which will additionally be home to trade and logistics warehousing as well as cargo and light industry activities that require quick access to air cargo services, and will cover an area of 36 hectares.
• The furthest airport from King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• King Shaka International Airport, also known as La Mercy Airport, and abbreviated KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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.
• As a result, a study into the risks of bird strikes at KSIA was commissioned, with special attention being paid to the Barn Swallows at Mount Moreland.
• The largest aircraft KSIA currently has scheduled services for is the Boeing 777-300ER, with Emirates operating Dubai–Durban, despite the fact that KSIA's runway length and terminal were designed to theoretically handle regular large airliners.