Nonstop flight route between Monrovia, Liberia and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MLW to DSM:
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- About this route
- MLW Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about MLW
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to MLW
- List of Nearest Airports to MLW
- Map of Furthest Airports from MLW
- List of Furthest Airports from MLW
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW), Monrovia, Liberia and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,564 miles (or 8,954 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 Spriggs Payne Airport and Des Moines 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 Spriggs Payne Airport and Des Moines International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MLW / GLMR |
Airport Name: | Spriggs Payne Airport |
Location: | Monrovia, Liberia |
GPS Coordinates: | 6°17'21"N by 10°45'30"W |
Area Served: | Monrovia, Liberia |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 25 feet (8 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MLW |
More Information: | MLW Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW):
- The furthest airport from Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW) is Nauru International Airport (INU), which is nearly antipodal to Spriggs Payne Airport (meaning Spriggs Payne Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Nauru International Airport), and is located 12,009 miles (19,327 kilometers) away in Yaren, Nauru.
- Spriggs-Payne underwent a runway refurbishment during 2011 and 2012, necessitating the cessation of most flight operations.
- James Spriggs Payne Airport is an airport located 5 kilometres from downtown Monrovia, the capital of the Republic of Liberia in West Africa.
- Elysian ceased operating in mid-2010, and the airport was left for a period without any scheduled commercial service.
- Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Spriggs Payne Airport's relatively low elevation of 25 feet, planes can take off or land at Spriggs Payne 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 closest airport to Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW) is Roberts International Airport Roberts Field (ROB), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) E of MLW.
- From 2008 until mid-2010, scheduled commercial services were operated by Cameroon-based Elysian Airlines.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
- On December 18, 2010, a small red Beechcraft Bonanza crashed while performing an emergency landing at DSM.
- The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
- Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
- The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.
- In addition to work inside the passenger terminal, the airport is building a rental car facility and new parking facilities.
- On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.