Nonstop flight route between Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Cherbourg, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Melbourne Airport (MEL), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER), Cherbourg, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,582 miles (or 17,030 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 Melbourne Airport and Cherbourg - Maupertus 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 Melbourne Airport and Cherbourg - Maupertus 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 Melbourne Airport (MEL):

• Terminal 3 – opened with the airport as the Ansett Australia terminal, but is now owned by Melbourne Airport.
• Today, a wide range of shops and food outlets are situated at the end of the terminal near the entrance into Terminal 2.
• The airport is 23 km from the city centre.
• The furthest airport from Melbourne Airport (MEL) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Melbourne Airport (meaning Melbourne Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,187 miles (19,613 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• In 1959 the Commonwealth Government acquired 5,300 ha of grassland in then-rural Tullamarine.
• In addition to being known as "Melbourne Airport", another name for MEL is "Tullamarine Airport".
• Melbourne Airport (MEL) has 2 runways.
• Melbourne Airport handled 2,998,000 passengers last year.
• In 2003, Melbourne received the International Air Transport Association Eagle Award for service and two National Tourism Awards for tourism services.
• Because of Melbourne Airport's relatively low elevation of 434 feet, planes can take off or land at Melbourne 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 1 July 1970, Melbourne Airport was opened to international operations by Prime Minister John Gorton, ending Essendon's near 2-decade run as Melbourne International Airport.
• The closest airport to Melbourne Airport (MEL) is Essendon Airport (MEB), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) SE of MEL.

Facts about Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER):

• The airport was used as a Luftwaffe airdrome during the German occupation of France.
• The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead.
• In addition to being known as "Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport", other names for CER include "Aéroport de Cherbourg - Maupertus" and "(Advanced Landing Ground A-15)".
• Charter flights occasionally operate to and from the airport.
• The closest airport to Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) is Alderney Airport (ACI), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) W of CER.
• Known as Advanced Landing Ground "A-15", the airfield consisted of a 6000' Pierced Steel Planking runway aligned 11/29.
• Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In the 1950s, a modern concrete jet runway for NATO aircraft was laid down by the United States using French contractors, along with a circular marguerite system of dispersal hardstands that could be revetted later with earth for added protection.
• Because of Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport's relatively low elevation of 459 feet, planes can take off or land at Cherbourg - Maupertus 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 Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,973 miles (19,269 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The 363d Fighter Group, based P-38 Lightning fighters at Maupertus from 9 July through August 1944.