Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Alghero, Sardinia, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO), Alghero, Sardinia, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,151 miles (or 9,899 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 Castle Airport and Alghero-Fertilia 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 Castle Airport and Alghero-Fertilia 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 Castle Airport (MER):

• In 2004, recommendations were made to relocate the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard and its associated HC-130, MC-130 and HH-60 aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield to the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Airport.
• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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.
• Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.

Facts about Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO):

• Domestic flights from nine Italian airports provided around 600,000 passengers annually for 2000 to 2004, while fifteen international connections caused an increase of passenger traffic from 100,000 in 2000 to 400,000 in 2004, bringing total traffic to 1.5 million passengers recorded in 2012.
• The closest airport to Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) is Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB), which is located 67 miles (107 kilometers) ENE of AHO.
• Alghero-Fertilia Airport handled 1,518,870 passengers last year.
• Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 23 November 2007 management of the airport was transferred to SO.GE.A.AL.
• Alghero-Fertilia Airport is an international airport situated 4.3 NM north-northwest of the city of Alghero, in northern Sardinia, Italy.
• In addition to being known as "Alghero-Fertilia Airport", another name for AHO is "Aeroporto di Alghero-Fertilia".
• The furthest airport from Alghero-Fertilia Airport (AHO) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Alghero-Fertilia Airport (meaning Alghero-Fertilia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,109 miles (19,488 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Alghero-Fertilia Airport's relatively low elevation of 87 feet, planes can take off or land at Alghero-Fertilia 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.
• 30 March 2009, Alghero Airport became a Ryanair hub, with two aircraft with their crews based there.