Nonstop flight route between Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Panama City, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Panama City, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,761 miles (or 15,708 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 Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and Northwest Florida Beaches International 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 Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and Northwest Florida Beaches International 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 Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):

• The furthest airport from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,719 miles (18,860 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• It was initially planned to build an international airport serving the south of Sri Lanka at Weerawila, but the plans were scrapped due to environmental concerns.
• Because of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• On 16 October 2012, a Hawker Beechcraft B200 King Air registered AP-CAB, belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan landed on runway 23 at 12.38 PM local time becoming the first aircraft to land at the new airport as requested by the Rajapaksa regime.
• It handled nearly 6000 passengers in the first two months after opening.
• The second stage of the HIA project the construction will begin in 2013 and is to be completed by 2016.

Facts about Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP):

• The opposite end of Runway 16, the elevation for Runway 34 is 53.7 feet.
• The relocation of the airport was controversial in Bay County.
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) currently has only 1 runway.
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport handled 85,600 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Panama City–Bay County International Airport (PFN), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) SSE of ECP.
• The cargo facility is between the control tower and general aviation ramp.
• Because of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Northwest Florida Beaches 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 Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,218 miles (18,054 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The second, cross-wind runway is under construction.