Nonstop flight route between Mukalla, Yemen and Santa Barbara, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Riyan Airport (MKX), Mukalla, Yemen and Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,972 miles (or 14,439 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 Riyan Airport and Santa Barbara 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 Riyan Airport and Santa Barbara 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 Riyan Airport (MKX):

• The closest airport to Riyan Airport (MKX) is Sayun AirportSeiyun Airport (GXF), which is located 98 miles (158 kilometers) NNW of MKX.
• In addition to being known as "Riyan Airport", other names for MKX include "RIY", "OYRN" and "RIY".
• The furthest airport from Riyan Airport (MKX) is Pukarua Airport (PUK), which is located 11,945 miles (19,223 kilometers) away in Pukarua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia.
• Riyan Airport (MKX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Riyan Airport's relatively low elevation of 54 feet, planes can take off or land at Riyan 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.

Facts about Santa Barbara Airport (SBA):

• The furthest airport from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,487 miles (18,486 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• On August 18, 2011 the airport opened a new 72,000 square foot terminal to add to the single story terminal built by United Airlines in 1942.
• The closest airport to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is Santa Ynez Airport (SQA), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) NW of SBA.
• The largest passenger jet currently serving Santa Barbara is the Airbus A319 operated by Frontier Airlines nonstop to Denver.
• As the prospect of war escalated the United States Government established a program to construct 250 airports across the country on a cost-sharing basis with local governments.
• Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) has 3 runways.
• The United Airlines system timetable dated February 1, 1937 listed daily round trip service flown with a Douglas DC-3 twin prop aircraft on a routing of Los Angeles-Santa Barbara-San Francisco-Oakland.
• As airplane manufacturing grew in the late 1930s that airstrip developed into an airfield.
• Because of Santa Barbara Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Barbara 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.
• With the outbreak of WWII the airport became MCAS Santa Barbara in 1942, an aviator training base for the U.S Marines.
• In 1947 the Santa Barbara Flying Club was formed to promote general aviation in the region.