Nonstop flight route between Greymouth, New Zealand and Francistown, Botswana:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Greymouth Airport (GMN), Greymouth, New Zealand and Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW), Francistown, Botswana would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,470 miles (or 12,022 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 Greymouth Airport and Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base, 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 Greymouth Airport and Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base. 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 Greymouth Airport (GMN):

• The closest airport to Greymouth Airport (GMN) is Hokitika Airport (HKK), which is located 20 miles (33 kilometers) SSW of GMN.
• The furthest airport from Greymouth Airport (GMN) is Vigo Airport (VGO), which is nearly antipodal to Greymouth Airport (meaning Greymouth Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Vigo Airport), and is located 12,418 miles (19,985 kilometers) away in Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
• Greymouth Airport (GMN) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Greymouth Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Greymouth 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.

Facts about Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW):

• The closest airport to Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) is Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ), which is located 108 miles (174 kilometers) NE of FRW.
• Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) has 2 runways.
• In 2011 the airport's ownership of the old terminal was transferred to the Botswana Defence Force and became a military airport, with civilian traffic moved to the new Francistown International Airport terminal to the west of the airport lands.
• The furthest airport from Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is nearly antipodal to Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (meaning Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hilo International Airport), and is located 12,246 miles (19,707 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
• However, currently the project is expected to miss its May deadline, after the airport in Gaborone also missed its deadline set date for May 10, 2010, with contractors at both sites struggling to finalise each stage of construction in time.
• Phase One of the construction cost P224 million, while Phase three cost P160 million.
• Two new runways are being added as well as the renovations of the current ones.
• The airport received plans for reconstruction and expansion in 2008 to be completed in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as Francistown could receive an influx of foreign tourists due to the World Cup in neighbouring South Africa.
• In addition to being known as "Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base", another name for FRW is "FBFT [1]".