Nonstop flight route between Gwadar, Pakistan and Francistown, Botswana:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gwadar International Airport (GWD), Gwadar, Pakistan and Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW), Francistown, Botswana would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,968 miles (or 6,386 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 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 Gwadar International 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 Gwadar International Airport (GWD):

• 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 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.
• 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.
• Gwadar International Airport (GWD) currently has only 1 runway.

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

• Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) has 2 runways.
• Two new runways are being added as well as the renovations of the current ones.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base", another name for FRW is "FBFT [1]".
• Francistown is home to Botswana Defence Force Air Wing's Z3 Transport Squadron and Z12 Transport Squadron.
• 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.
• 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.