Nonstop flight route between Mmabatho, South Africa and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mafikeng Airport (MBD), Mmabatho, South Africa and Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI), Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,014 miles (or 14,507 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 Ulukhaktok/Holman 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 Mafikeng Airport and Ulukhaktok/Holman 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 Mafikeng Airport (MBD):

• The closest airport to Mafikeng Airport (MBD) is Lobatse Airport (LOQ), which is located 43 miles (70 kilometers) NNE of MBD.
• Mafikeng Airport (MBD) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Mafikeng Airport", another name for MBD is "Mmabatho Airport".

Facts about Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI):

• Prior to the construction of the airport all aircraft either landed on an ice strip in the winter or in the middle of town.
• The furthest airport from Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 9,609 miles (15,464 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• Because of Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport's relatively low elevation of 117 feet, planes can take off or land at Ulukhaktok/Holman 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.
• By early 1979 the snow problem was so great that the runway was no longer a straight line.
• The closest airport to Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) is Paulatuk (Nora Aliqatchialuk Ruben) Airport (YPC), which is located 177 miles (284 kilometers) WSW of YHI.
• When the airport was originally constructed there was no provision for dedicated maintenance vehicles and they had to be shared with the community.
• Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The original buildings at the airport included a two-story airport terminal, an emergency power generator building and the aircraft refueling station.