Nonstop flight route between Ghazni, Afghanistan and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ghazni Airport (GZI), Ghazni, Afghanistan and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,674 miles (or 12,350 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 Ghazni Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Ghazni Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Ghazni Airport (GZI):

• The furthest airport from Ghazni Airport (GZI) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,978 miles (19,277 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• In addition to being known as "Ghazni Airport", other names for GZI include "Ghazni Airport (Ghazni)" and "د غزنی نړیوال هوایی ډګر".
• The closest airport to Ghazni Airport (GZI) is Sardeh Band Airport (SBF), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) SE of GZI.
• Ghazni Airport (GZI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Ghazni Airport's high elevation of 7,126 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GZI. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GZI a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Besides the current Allegiant jet service, SkyWest Airlines operating as United Express via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines flies Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops and sometimes Bombardier CRJ-200 Regional Jet nonstop to Los Angeles that served the airport for many years.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• The airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.