Nonstop flight route between Smyrna, Tennessee, United States and Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:
Departure Airport:
(36°0'32"N by 86°31'11"W)
Arrival Airport:
(28°44'26"S by 32°5'30"E)
Distance from MQY to RCB:
8,877.64 miles (14,287.15 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MQY Airport Information
- RCB Airport Information
- Facts about MQY
- Facts about RCB
- Map of Nearest Airports to MQY
- List of Nearest Airports to MQY
- Map of Furthest Airports from MQY
- List of Furthest Airports from MQY
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCB
- List of Nearest Airports to RCB
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCB
- List of Furthest Airports from RCB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Smyrna Airport (MQY), Smyrna, Tennessee, United States and Richards Bay Airport (RCB), Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,878 miles (or 14,287 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 Smyrna Airport and Richards Bay 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 Smyrna Airport and Richards Bay Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MQY / KMQY |
| Airport Name: | Smyrna Airport |
| Location: | Smyrna, Tennessee, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°0'32"N by 86°31'11"W |
| Area Served: | Smyrna, Tennessee |
| Operator/Owner: | Smyrna / Rutherford County Airport Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 543 feet (166 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MQY |
| More Information: | MQY Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCB / FARB |
| Airport Name: | Richards Bay Airport |
| Location: | Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 28°44'26"S by 32°5'30"E |
| Operator/Owner: | uMhlathuze Local Municipality |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 109 feet (33 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RCB |
| More Information: | RCB Maps & Info |
Facts about Smyrna Airport (MQY):
- The closest airport to Smyrna Airport (MQY) is Nashville International Airport (BNA), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) NW of MQY.
- This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a reliever airport for Nashville International Airport, which is located twelve nautical miles to the north.
- The airport has an operational control tower twelve hours a day, precision instrument landing system approaches to Runway 14 and Runway 32, and DoD Into-Plane Contract jet fuel for military and other US Government aircraft provided by the on-site civilian fixed base operator, Smyrna Air Center.
- The furthest airport from Smyrna Airport (MQY) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,207 miles (18,036 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Smyrna Airport (MQY) has 2 runways.
- Because of Smyrna Airport's relatively low elevation of 543 feet, planes can take off or land at Smyrna 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.
- Smyrna Airport currently operates as a joint use training facility with a Tennessee Army National Guard helicopter unit, Army Aviation Support Facility #1, which operates 60 helicopters with 300 full-time Army National Guard personnel.
Facts about Richards Bay Airport (RCB):
- Because of Richards Bay Airport's relatively low elevation of 109 feet, planes can take off or land at Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay Airport (RCB) is Hluhluwe Airport (HLW), which is located 52 miles (83 kilometers) NNE of RCB.
- The furthest airport from Richards Bay Airport (RCB) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,689 miles (18,812 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- Richards Bay Airport (RCB) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12.17 miles (19.58 km) NW | Nashville International Airport (BNA) | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |     |
| 2 | 31.36 miles (50.46 km) S | Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) | Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 3 | 43.51 miles (70.02 km) ESE | Warren County Memorial Airport (RNC) | McMinnville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 4 | 46.08 miles (74.16 km) SSE | Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) | Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States | |
| 5 | 48.49 miles (78.03 km) SW | Maury County Airport (MRC) | Columbia/Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, United States | |
| 6 | 53.11 miles (85.48 km) WSW | Centerville Municipal Airport (GHM) | Centerville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 7 | 65.40 miles (105.25 km) NW | Clarksville–Montgomery County Regional Airport (CKV) | Clarksville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 8 | 65.60 miles (105.57 km) SSE | Franklin County Airport (UOS) | Sewanee, Tennessee, United States | |
| 9 | 65.63 miles (105.62 km) S | Fayetteville Municipal Airport (FYM) | Fayetteville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 10 | 66.26 miles (106.63 km) N | Paducah KY (BWG) | Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States | |
| 11 | 70.92 miles (114.14 km) NW | Campbell Army Airfield (HOP) | Fort Campbell / Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States | |
| 12 | 77.34 miles (124.47 km) NNE | Glasgow Municipal Airport (GLW) | Glasgow, Kentucky, United States | |
| 13 | 84.00 miles (135.18 km) SE | Marion County Airport (APT) | Jasper, Tennessee, United States | |
| 14 | 92.38 miles (148.67 km) S | Redstone Army Airfield (AAF) (HUA) | Redstone Arsenal (near Huntsville), Alabama, United States | |
| 15 | 95.86 miles (154.27 km) S | Huntsville International Airport (HSV) | Huntsville / Decatur, Alabama, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,206.85 miles (18,035.63 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,186.23 miles (18,002.45 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,165.60 miles (17,969.24 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,153.67 miles (17,950.05 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,146.41 miles (17,938.36 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,131.28 miles (17,914.02 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,129.39 miles (17,910.97 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,121.21 miles (17,897.80 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,105.54 miles (17,872.60 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,092.41 miles (17,851.46 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 11,069.46 miles (17,814.53 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 11,060.42 miles (17,799.97 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 11,060.21 miles (17,799.64 km) WSW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 11,051.68 miles (17,785.91 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 11,046.96 miles (17,778.31 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 51.82 miles (83.40 km) NNE | Hluhluwe Airport (HLW) | Hluhluwe, South Africa | |
| 2 | 84.75 miles (136.40 km) SW | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 3 | 119.80 miles (192.80 km) WSW | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 4 | 142.22 miles (228.88 km) W | Ladysmith Airport (LAY) | Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 5 | 160.19 miles (257.81 km) NNW | Matsapha Airport (MTS) | Manzini, Swaziland | |
| 6 | 180.06 miles (289.77 km) SW | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 7 | 186.21 miles (299.68 km) WSW | Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) | Mokhotlong, Lesotho | |
| 8 | 197.06 miles (317.14 km) N | Maputo International Airport (MPM) | Maputo, Mozambique | |
| 9 | 221.74 miles (356.85 km) WSW | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 10 | 235.81 miles (379.50 km) WSW | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 11 | 239.78 miles (385.89 km) NNW | Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) | Nelspruit, South Africa | |
| 12 | 244.68 miles (393.77 km) W | Leribe Airport (LRB) | Leribe, Lesotho | |
| 13 | 254.51 miles (409.59 km) WSW | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 14 | 273.13 miles (439.56 km) N | Mala Mala Airport (AAM) | Mala Mala, South Africa | |
| 15 | 274.02 miles (441.00 km) WNW | Heidelberg Airport (HDB) | Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,688.97 miles (18,811.52 km) NE | Hana Airport (HNM) | Hana, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 11,676.26 miles (18,791.08 km) NE | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 11,668.75 miles (18,778.99 km) NE | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 11,668.60 miles (18,778.74 km) NE | Hilo International Airport (ITO) | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 11,667.34 miles (18,776.72 km) NE | Upolu Airport (UPP) | Hawi, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 11,667.27 miles (18,776.61 km) NE | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 11,660.70 miles (18,766.03 km) NE | Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) | Kamuela, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 11,658.80 miles (18,762.97 km) NE | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 11,649.90 miles (18,748.65 km) NE | Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF) | Camp Pohakuloa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 11,647.45 miles (18,744.70 km) NE | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 11,631.35 miles (18,718.80 km) NE | Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) | Kailua / Kona, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 11,629.30 miles (18,715.50 km) NE | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 11,627.50 miles (18,712.60 km) NE | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 11,627.50 miles (18,712.60 km) NE | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 11,625.76 miles (18,709.81 km) NE | Dillingham Airfield (HDH) | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | |