Nonstop flight route between Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF), Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,291 miles (or 5,296 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 Al-Ahsa 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 Al-Ahsa 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 Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF):

• Because of Al-Ahsa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 588 feet, planes can take off or land at Al-Ahsa 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.
• Al-Ahsa International Airport is an airport serving Hofuf, a city in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.
• The furthest airport from Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to Al-Ahsa International Airport (meaning Al-Ahsa International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,122 miles (19,509 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Al-Ahsa International Airport", another name for HOF is "مطار الأحساء الدولي".
• The airport resides at an elevation of 588 feet above mean sea level.
• The closest airport to Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA), which is located 79 miles (128 kilometers) NNE of HOF.
• Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• After the war, airmen of the Airframe and Engine trades continued to train at St Athan, but in 1955 this training dispersed to RAF Kirkham and RAF Weeton.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• 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.
• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The training to be carried out at St Athan was to be specialist phase 2 and phase 3 engineering courses of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.