Nonstop flight route between Manston, Kent, England, United Kingdom and Lesobeng, Lesotho:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Manston Airport (MSE), Manston, Kent, England, United Kingdom and Lesobeng Airport (LES), Lesobeng, Lesotho would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,839 miles (or 9,398 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 Manston Airport and Lesobeng 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 Manston Airport and Lesobeng 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 Manston Airport (MSE):

• Manston Airport handled 8,595 passengers last year.
• After the plan was published, the Ministry of Defence announced its intention to sell off RAF Manston.
• The closest airport to Manston Airport (MSE) is Lympne Airport (LYM), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) SW of MSE.
• At the outset of the First World War, the Isle of Thanet was equipped with a small and precarious landing strip for aircraft at St Mildred's Bay, Westgate, on top of the chalk cliffs, at the foot of which was a promenade which had been used for seaplane operations.
• Manston Airport (MSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airfield today comprises 700 acres.
• Its location near the Kent coast gave Manston some advantages over other aerodromes, and regular additions in men and machinery were soon made, particularly from Detling, in early days.
• Manston was by now becoming known as a commercial airport.
• The furthest airport from Manston Airport (MSE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,906 miles (19,162 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Manston Airport's relatively low elevation of 178 feet, planes can take off or land at Manston 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.
• Iran Air used Manston as a fuel stop for flight 710 from Heathrow to Tehran due to fuel disputes in London, until 1 December 2011.
• Kent International Airport was initially a 38 acres civilian area within the former RAF Manston that included the existing terminal building and an apron where passengers embarked and the largest freighters were loaded.

Facts about Lesobeng Airport (LES):

• Lesobeng Airport (LES) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Lesobeng Airport (LES) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,760 miles (18,926 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Lesobeng Airport's high elevation of 7,130 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at LES. Combined with a high temperature, this could make LES a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Lesobeng Airport (LES) is Semonkong Airport (SOK), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) WSW of LES.