Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Lukulu, Zambia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to LXU:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- LXU Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about LXU
- 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 LXU
- List of Nearest Airports to LXU
- Map of Furthest Airports from LXU
- List of Furthest Airports from LXU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Lukulu Airport (LXU), Lukulu, Zambia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,710 miles (or 15,627 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 Lukulu 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 Lukulu 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: | LXU / FLLK |
Airport Name: | Lukulu Airport |
Location: | Lukulu, Zambia |
GPS Coordinates: | 14°22'30"S by 23°15'0"E |
Area Served: | Lukulu |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 3480 feet (1,061 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from LXU |
More Information: | LXU Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- 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.
- 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.
- Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
- 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.
Facts about Lukulu Airport (LXU):
- The furthest airport from Lukulu Airport (LXU) is Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA), which is nearly antipodal to Lukulu Airport (meaning Lukulu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kona International Airport at Keāhole), and is located 12,063 miles (19,414 kilometers) away in Kailua / Kona, Hawaii, United States.
- Lukulu Airport (LXU) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Lukulu Airport (LXU) is Zambezi Airport (BBZ), which is located 59 miles (95 kilometers) N of LXU.