Nonstop flight route between Gustavus, Alaska, United States and Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gustavus Airport (GST), Gustavus, Alaska, United States and O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,074 miles (or 16,212 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 Gustavus Airport and O. R. Tambo 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 Gustavus Airport and O. R. Tambo 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 Gustavus Airport (GST):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 11,828 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 8,822 enplanements in 2009, and 9,996 in 2010.
• The furthest airport from Gustavus Airport (GST) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,541 miles (16,964 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Gustavus Airport covers an area of 1,821 acres at an elevation of 35 feet above mean sea level.
• Gustavus Airport (GST) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Gustavus Airport (GST) is Excursion Inlet Seaplane Base (EXI), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) E of GST.
• Because of Gustavus Airport's relatively low elevation of 35 feet, planes can take off or land at Gustavus 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 O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB):

• The furthest airport from O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,979 miles (19,279 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• The two terminals A and B have been restructured.
• Because of O. R. Tambo International Airport's high elevation of 5,558 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at JNB. Combined with a high temperature, this could make JNB a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• A second terminal between the two runways has also been mooted, which is proposed for completion by 2012.
• O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) has 2 runways.
• The airport overtook Cairo International Airport in 1996 as the busiest airport in Africa and is the third-busiest airport in the Africa–Middle East region after Dubai International Airport and Doha International Airport.
• O. R. Tambo International Airport handled 18,794,897 passengers last year.
• Critics noted the considerable expense involved in renaming the airport, and the decision to use a politician as the name would be obscure, confusing and in some instances, offensive.
• The closest airport to O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) is Rand Airport (QRA), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) SW of JNB.
• In addition to being known as "O. R. Tambo International Airport", another name for JNB is "Johannesburg International Airport".