Nonstop flight route between Gwadar, Pakistan and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gwadar International Airport (GWD), Gwadar, Pakistan and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,842 miles (or 6,184 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 Gwadar International Airport and MoD St Athan, 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 Gwadar International Airport and MoD St Athan. 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 Gwadar International Airport (GWD):

• Gwadar International Airport (GWD) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Gwadar International Airport's relatively low elevation of 96 feet, planes can take off or land at Gwadar 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 Gwadar International Airport (GWD) is Jiwani (JIW), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) WSW of GWD.
• It is a large airport in Balochistan, Pakistan, as it operates to cater mainly to the population of Gwadar.
• The furthest airport from Gwadar International Airport (GWD) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,908 miles (19,165 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Pakistan anticipates Gwadar becoming a regional economic hub and, in preparation for this, has issued a directive for the development of New Gwadar International Airport.
• The town of Gwadar was purchased by Government of Pakistan from Sultan of Muscat in 1958.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• The furthest airport from MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• The MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.
• The station officially opened as RAF St Athan on 1 September 1938 and the first unit to take up residence was No 4 School of Technical Training.
• The only squadrons to operate out of St Athan on a regular basis are the University of Wales Air Squadron, flying Grob Tutors and No 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron using Vigilant T.1s.
• On 26 August 1993 an ATC civilian instructor was seriously injured and the RAF Volunteer Reserve pilot, Group Captain Roger Sweatman, was killed when their Chipmunk trainer, on an air experience flight, crashed after encountering difficulties during a simulated emergency low-height manoeuvre on take-off.