Nonstop flight route between Lansing, Michigan, United States and Hambantota, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Capital Region International Airport (LAN), Lansing, Michigan, United States and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,930 miles (or 14,371 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 Capital Region International Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Capital Region International Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Capital Region International Airport (LAN):

• There have been several attempts at establishing international passenger service at the airport.
• In March 2009 the Federal Aviation Administration announced the planned consolidation of radar control for Lansing's airport, as well as that of airports in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, to nearby Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in 2013.
• The closest airport to Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is Jackson County Airport (JXN), which is located 36 miles (59 kilometers) S of LAN.
• Capital Region International Airport (LAN) has 3 runways.
• In July 2011 Eastern Michigan University announced that its flight-training program would begin operating out of the Lansing airport in September, coinciding with the elimination of Lansing Community College's aviation flight program.
• The dedication of Capital City Airport was held on the weekend of July 14–15, 1928, and attended by 70,000 people, including arctic explorer George Hubert Wilkins and aviator Carl Eielson.
• Because of Capital Region International Airport's relatively low elevation of 861 feet, planes can take off or land at Capital Region 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 Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,212 miles (18,044 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In the early 1960s Lansing Community College leased the Francis Aviation Complex at Capital City Airport.

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 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.
• On 24 January 2013, Sri Lanka Minister of Civil Aviation Piyankara Jayaratne said in parliament that the airport would be declared open on 18 March 2013.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Runway dimensions are 3500m * 60m with 7.5m paved shoulders either side and 260m Runway safety area on both runway ends.
• The air traffic control tower of height 41m has been constructed at the highest elevation of the aerodrome.
• The second stage of the HIA project expansion works at the airport is to be completed by 2015.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• 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.