Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Doha, Qatar:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Hamad International Airport (DOH), Doha, Qatar would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,078 miles (or 13,000 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 Hamad International 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 Hamad International 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):

• EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.

Facts about Hamad International Airport (DOH):

• The closest airport to Hamad International Airport (DOH) is Al-Udeid Air Base (IUD), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) WSW of DOH.
• Cargo operations began from 1 December 2013, with an inaugural flight by Qatar Airways Cargo arriving from Europe.
• Hamad International Airport (DOH) has 2 runways.
• Because of Hamad International Airport's relatively low elevation of 13 feet, planes can take off or land at Hamad International 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.
• Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi, chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority as well as a spokesperson from Qatar Airways, the operator of the airport and main customer, have indicated that the airport is named Hamad International Airport when it opens on April 30, 2014.
• The furthest airport from Hamad International Airport (DOH) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to Hamad International Airport (meaning Hamad International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,001 miles (19,313 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Hamad International Airport", other names for DOH include "مطار حمد الدولي" and "OTHH[1]".