Nonstop flight route between Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States and Hambantota, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,988 miles (or 14,466 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 Sioux Falls Regional Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa International 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 Sioux Falls Regional Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. 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 Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD):

• Joe Foss Field covers an area of 1,570 acres at an elevation of 1,430 feet above mean sea level.
• Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) has 3 runways.
• Sioux Falls Regional Airport was originally the Sioux Falls Army Air Base constructed during World War II and closed permanently in the mid-1960s.
• The furthest airport from Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,610 miles (17,075 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is Madison Municipal Airport (XMD), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) NNW of FSD.
• On December 20, 1983, Ozark Airlines Flight 650 struck a snow plow while landing, killing the driver.
• In addition to being known as "Sioux Falls Regional Airport", another name for FSD is "Joe Foss Field".

Facts about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):

• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Hambantota in southeast Sri Lanka.
• Because of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Mattala Rajapaksa International 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 closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
• The furthest airport from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,719 miles (18,860 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• It handled nearly 6000 passengers in the first two months after opening.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• As announced earlier the airport was opened for flight operations on 18 March 2013.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The numbers given to the airport's sole runway is 05 and 23.
• The second stage of the HIA project expansion works at the airport is to be completed by 2015.