Nonstop flight route between Hambantota, Sri Lanka and La Seu d'Urgell, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka and La Seu d'Urgell airport (LEU), La Seu d'Urgell, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,401 miles (or 8,693 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 La Seu d'Urgell 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 La Seu d'Urgell 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):

• Domestic carriers Helitours and Cinnamon Air offer charter flights that connect the airport with Ratmalana Airport and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.
• 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.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport was declared open by the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on 18 March 2013 and commenced operations with the landing of a SriLankan Airlines special Airbus A340 flight named 'City of Magam Ruhunupura' with the President on board.
• The closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of 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 airport is designed to facilitate for over 800 foreign passengers at peak hours and several local passengers per every 1000 km² in side the buildings.
• This project will have two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed by the end of October 2012.
• On October 2012, the Super King 20 Test Aircraft, which belongs to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Department and features a dual engine, landed on the new runway to test the newly constructed runway and the instrumentation.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".

Facts about La Seu d'Urgell airport (LEU):

• In addition to being known as "La Seu d'Urgell airport", other names for LEU include "Aeroport de la Seu d'Urgell" and "Aeroport Pirineus - la Seu d'Urgell".
• The airport opened in 1982 but was closed to commercial traffic in 1984 and was used only by private aeroplanes until 2008, when the airport was purchased by the Catalan government and closed pending its redevelopment and reopening as a commercial airport.
• La Seu d'Urgell airport, officially Pirineus - la Seu d'Urgel airport and also known as Pirineus-Andorra airport is an airport facility owned by the Government of Catalonia and hosts general aviation and emergency flights.
• There are plans to allow regular or tourist charter flights from the summer of 2014.
• Because of La Seu d'Urgell airport's relatively low elevation of 3 feet, planes can take off or land at La Seu d'Urgell 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 La Seu d'Urgell airport (LEU) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to La Seu d'Urgell airport (meaning La Seu d'Urgell airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,289 miles (19,777 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to La Seu d'Urgell airport (LEU) is Lleida–Alguaire Airport (ILD), which is located 62 miles (99 kilometers) SW of LEU.
• La Seu d'Urgell airport (LEU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2009, a contract was awarded to Acsa Sorigué for the redevelopment work that will lead to the reopening of the airport.