Nonstop flight route between Tehran, Iran and St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA), Tehran, Iran and RAF Leuchars (ADX), St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,875 miles (or 4,627 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 Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport and RAF Leuchars, 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 Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport and RAF Leuchars. 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 Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA):

• The French firm ADPI, subsidiary of the Aéroports de Paris Group has been commissioned for providing a master plan development study, with a second phase of development offering a 26.5 million annual passengers throughput capacity.
• 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.
• Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport handled 4,986,477 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport", another name for IKA is "فرودگاه امام خمینی".
• However, on 8 May, a few hours after the opening of airport, the Revolutionary Guards of the Iranian Armed Forces closed it, citing security fears over the use of foreigners in the running of the airport.
• 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 is located in Ahmadabad, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran and is the largest and most important airport of the country.
• 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.
• The original opening was scheduled for 11 February 2004, the onset of the auspicious "Ten-Day Dawn" celebrations, marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
• Just prior to the opening on 8 May, two local airlines refused to switch to the new airport.
• 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.

Facts about RAF Leuchars (ADX):

• Like so many RAF stations, the airfield itself owes its existence to the stimulus of war, and work began on levelling the existing site on Reres Farm in 1916.
• As the Cold War reached its frostiest depths in the 1960s the development of long range aircraft allowed the Soviets regular incursion into British air space.
• Royal Air Force station Leuchars or more simply RAF Leuchars is the second most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom.
• The furthest airport from RAF Leuchars (ADX) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,678 miles (18,793 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to RAF Leuchars (ADX) is Dundee Airport (DND), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NW of ADX.
• Very little information of a closure timeline is known.
• As the Navy embraced the value of aviation, the aircraft carrier was added to its inventory.