Nonstop flight route between Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Tehran, Iran:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA), Tehran, Iran would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,769 miles (or 4,456 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 Tehran Imam Khomeini 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 Tehran Imam Khomeini 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.
• The terminal building will be of area 12,000m2 with the capacity to handle 1,000,000 passengers per annum.
• The second stage of the HIA project expansion works at the airport is to be completed by 2015.
• The closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• Phase one began on 27 November 2009 at Mattala.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Construction of phase one began on 27 November 2009 at Mattala.
• The numbers given to the airport's sole runway is 05 and 23.

Facts about Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA):

• The furthest airport from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,511 miles (18,525 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) has 2 runways.
• TAV officials were ordered to withdraw their personnel and equipment from the airport on 7 May 2004, and operations were handed over to Iran Air.
• It was designed to replace Mehrabad International Airport, which is in the west of the city, now inside the city boundaries.
• Further complicating matters, on 29 April 2005, the United Kingdom and Canada warned its citizens against using the airport due to alleged safety concerns concerning the runway, which has been claimed to have been built over ancient qanats.
• In addition to being known as "Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport", another name for IKA is "فرودگاه امام خمینی".
• Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport is located in Ahmadabad, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran and is the largest and most important airport of the country.
• The airport reopened on 13 May, as deputy head of Iran's Joint Chiefs of staff Brigadier-General Alireza Afshar stated "because foreign companies will no longer be in charge of the airport's operation, security obstacles are removed."
• The closest airport to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) is Mehrabad Airport (THR), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) NNE of IKA.
• Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport handled 4,986,477 passengers last year.
• Just prior to the opening on 8 May, two local airlines refused to switch to the new airport.
• After the Iranian Revolution, the project was abandoned until the government of Iran decided to design and build the airport using local know-how.