Nonstop flight route between Xiahe, Gansu, China and Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gannan Xiahe Airport (GXH), Xiahe, Gansu, China and Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ), Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,957 miles (or 11,197 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 Gannan Xiahe Airport and Kapiti Coast 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 Gannan Xiahe Airport and Kapiti Coast 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 Gannan Xiahe Airport (GXH):

• The closest airport to Gannan Xiahe Airport (GXH) is Xining Caojiabao Airport (XNN), which is located 123 miles (199 kilometers) NNW of GXH.
• In addition to being known as "Gannan Xiahe Airport", other names for GXH include "甘南夏河机场" and "Gānnán Xiàhé Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Gannan Xiahe Airport (GXH) is Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), which is nearly antipodal to Gannan Xiahe Airport (meaning Gannan Xiahe Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Carriel Sur International Airport), and is located 12,161 miles (19,571 kilometers) away in Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile.

Facts about Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ):

• Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) has 3 runways.
• As recently as 1992, alternate sites for a new airport for Wellington were investigated, including Paraparaumu, but a decision was made to upgrade Wellington Airport's existing site.
• Paraparaumu was judged unsuitable for international operations in the 1950s due to Kapiti Island to the near west and the Tararua Ranges barely a mile east infringing the take-off and landing flightpaths.
• The furthest airport from Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) is Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM), which is nearly antipodal to Kapiti Coast Airport (meaning Kapiti Coast Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Salamanca-Matacán Airport), and is located 12,411 miles (19,973 kilometers) away in Salamanca, Spain.
• The closest airport to Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) is Wellington International Airport (WLG), which is located 31 miles (49 kilometers) SSW of PPQ.
• On 24 October 2011, Air Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, commenced flights between Auckland and Paraparaumu.
• Because of Kapiti Coast Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Kapiti Coast 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.