Nonstop flight route between Islay, Scotland, United Kingdom and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Islay Airport (ILY), Islay, Scotland, United Kingdom and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,833 miles (or 6,169 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 Islay Airport and Des Moines 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 Islay Airport and Des Moines 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 Islay Airport (ILY):

• In addition to being known as "Islay Airport", another name for ILY is "Port-adhair Ìle".
• The furthest airport from Islay Airport (ILY) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,783 miles (18,963 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Islay Airport (ILY) is Colonsay Airport (CSA), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) N of ILY.
• Islay Airport handled 28,486 passengers last year.
• Because of Islay Airport's relatively low elevation of 56 feet, planes can take off or land at Islay 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.
• Islay Airport (ILY) has 2 runways.

Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):

• The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
• Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
• Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
• On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.
• The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
• The airport was originally governed by the City of Des Moines' Parks Department.
• The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The Des Moines Terminal has 2 concourses.
• In addition to work inside the passenger terminal, the airport is building a rental car facility and new parking facilities.
• In 2012, the airport had 1,038,484 enplanementsFederal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 853,596 in 2009 and 932,828 in 2011.