Nonstop flight route between Mmabatho, South Africa and Paya Lebar, Singapore:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mafikeng Airport (MBD), Mmabatho, South Africa and Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (QPG), Paya Lebar, Singapore would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,537 miles (or 8,912 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 Mafikeng Airport and Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB), 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 Mafikeng Airport and Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB). 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 Mafikeng Airport (MBD):

• The furthest airport from Mafikeng Airport (MBD) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is nearly antipodal to Mafikeng Airport (meaning Mafikeng Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kalaupapa Airport), and is located 12,081 miles (19,443 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
• Mafikeng Airport (MBD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Mafikeng Airport (MBD) is Lobatse Airport (LOQ), which is located 43 miles (70 kilometers) NNE of MBD.
• Because of Mafikeng Airport's high elevation of 4,181 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MBD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MBD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Mafikeng Airport", another name for MBD is "Mmabatho Airport".

Facts about Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (QPG):

• The air base currently houses aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules and the upgraded AMRAAM capable F-5S/T Tiger IIs.
• An RSAF C-130H performing short field landing at PLAB
• Most recently, on 14 November 2009, Air Force One carrying President Barack Obama landed at Paya Lebar Air Base, to attend the APEC Singapore 2009 Summit.
• The furthest airport from Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (QPG) is Francisco de Orellana Airport (OCC), which is nearly antipodal to Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (meaning Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Francisco de Orellana Airport), and is located 12,349 miles (19,874 kilometers) away in Coca, Ecuador.
• In addition to being known as "Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB)", other names for QPG include "巴耶利峇空军基地" and "Pangkalan Udara Paya Lebar".
• In 1966, the company focused more on Singapore, buying Boeing 707s, headquartering itself in that country, and renaming itself Malaysia-Singapore Airlines - with a notable fluorescent yellow livery.
• The RSAF Open House is a bi-annual event which is usually held at Paya Lebar Air Base and in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of Republic of Singapore Air Force in 2008, it was open to the public for two days from 30 August to 31 August 2008.
• The airport was built from 1952 to 1955, and opened on 20 August 1955 by the Secretary of State for Colonies, Alan Lennox-Boyd.
• Because of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB)'s relatively low elevation of 65 feet, planes can take off or land at Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) 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.
• Originally built in 1954 as Singapore International Airport to replace Kallang Airport, control of the airport was transferred to RSAF in 1980 when it was renamed Paya Lebar Air Base, following the relocation of the civilian airport to Changi.
• It was a hub for Malayan Airways at this time, and the airline had its first flight outside Southeast Asia in 1958, using a DC-4 leased from Qantas, flying to Hong Kong.
• The closest airport to Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (QPG) is Seletar Airport (XSP), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NW of QPG.
• Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) (QPG) currently has only 1 runway.