Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Basrah, Iraq:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to BSR:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- BSR Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about BSR
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to BSR
- List of Nearest Airports to BSR
- Map of Furthest Airports from BSR
- List of Furthest Airports from BSR
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR), Basrah, Iraq would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,682 miles (or 12,363 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MER / KMER |
Airport Name: | Castle Airport |
Location: | Atwater, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W |
Operator/Owner: | Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 191 feet (58 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MER |
More Information: | MER Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BSR / ORMM |
Airport Name: | Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport |
Location: | Basrah, Iraq |
GPS Coordinates: | 30°32'56"N by 47°39'44"E |
Area Served: | Basra, Iraq |
Operator/Owner: | Iraqi Government |
Airport Type: | Military/Public |
Elevation: | 0 feet (0 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BSR |
More Information: | BSR Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR):
- Because of Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Basrah International AirportBasrah 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 Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,898 miles (19,147 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
- Renovation of the airport was supposed to proceed with the construction of a new terminal under German contract but the project prematurely ceased with the outbreak of the 1991 Gulf War.
- The closest airport to Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) is Abadan International Airport (ABD), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) ESE of BSR.
- Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) currently has only 1 runway.
- The airport is also currently in the process of civilianisation as part of the rebuilding of the country as part of Operation Telic of the multinational force in Iraq.
- The airport was built in the 1980s and then developed in the 1980s by the Iraqi Government department State Organisation for Roads and Bridges as a gateway to the only port in Iraq.
- The airport was eventually reopened in June 2004.