Nonstop flight route between Malakal, South Sudan and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malakal Airport (MAK), Malakal, South Sudan and King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,707 miles (or 4,357 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 Malakal Airport and King Shaka International, 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 Malakal Airport and King Shaka International. 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 Malakal Airport (MAK):

• As part of the United Nation's Mission to Sudan, the airport was a major staging point for United Nation operations to South Sudan and will continue to do so under the new United Nation's Mission to South Sudan mandate.
• Malakal Airport is an airport serving Malakal, a city in Malakal County in the Upper Nile state in South Sudan.
• The furthest airport from Malakal Airport (MAK) is Ahe Airport (AHE), which is nearly antipodal to Malakal Airport (meaning Malakal Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ahe Airport), and is located 12,072 miles (19,428 kilometers) away in Ahe, French Polynesia.
• Malakal Airport (MAK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Malakal Airport (MAK) is Beica Airport (BEI), which is located 196 miles (315 kilometers) E of MAK.
• Malakal is the second-largest airport in South Sudan.

Facts about King Shaka International (DUR):

• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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 terminal does not have a public viewing deck, which has attracted public criticism.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• The furthest airport from King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• On 8 December 2009, it was reported that "King Shaka International Airport" was indeed the most popular name for the new airport.
• The project was revived in the late 1990s when the limitations of Durban International Airport became apparent.
• Despite wide expectations that the airport would be named "King Shaka International Airport", it emerged in October 2009 that the airport needed to undergo a formal naming process.