Nonstop flight route between Nouakchott, Mauritania and Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from NKC to SCS:
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- About this route
- NKC Airport Information
- SCS Airport Information
- Facts about NKC
- Facts about SCS
- Map of Nearest Airports to NKC
- List of Nearest Airports to NKC
- Map of Furthest Airports from NKC
- List of Furthest Airports from NKC
- Map of Nearest Airports to SCS
- List of Nearest Airports to SCS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SCS
- List of Furthest Airports from SCS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Nouakchott International Airport (NKC), Nouakchott, Mauritania and Scatsta Airport (SCS), Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,014 miles (or 4,850 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 Nouakchott International Airport and Scatsta 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 Nouakchott International Airport and Scatsta Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | NKC / GQNN |
Airport Name: | Nouakchott International Airport |
Location: | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
GPS Coordinates: | 18°5'52"N by 15°56'52"W |
Area Served: | Nouakchott |
Operator/Owner: | Government\ASECNA"African air traffic management organisation" |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 7 feet (2 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from NKC |
More Information: | NKC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SCS / EGPM |
Airport Name: | Scatsta Airport |
Location: | Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom |
GPS Coordinates: | 60°25'58"N by 1°17'45"W |
Area Served: | Shetland |
Operator/Owner: | Serco UK and Europe on behalf of BP |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 81 feet (25 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SCS |
More Information: | SCS Maps & Info |
Facts about Nouakchott International Airport (NKC):
- The furthest airport from Nouakchott International Airport (NKC) is Île des Pins Airport (BMY), which is nearly antipodal to Nouakchott International Airport (meaning Nouakchott International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Île des Pins Airport), and is located 12,322 miles (19,830 kilometers) away in Waala, Belep Islands, New Caledonia.
- The closest airport to Nouakchott International Airport (NKC) is Boutilimit Airport (OTL), which is located 92 miles (148 kilometers) ESE of NKC.
- Nouakchott International Airport (NKC) currently has only 1 runway.
- Nouakchott International Airport handled 209,932 passengers last year.
- Because of Nouakchott International Airport's relatively low elevation of 7 feet, planes can take off or land at Nouakchott 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.
Facts about Scatsta Airport (SCS):
- Scatsta Airport (SCS) currently has only 1 runway.
- Construction started in Spring 1940, of two runways.
- Because of Scatsta Airport's relatively low elevation of 81 feet, planes can take off or land at Scatsta 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 Scatsta Airport (SCS) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,409 miles (18,361 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
- The balance between oil service flights and "civilian" flights can be judged from the fact that the airport service area has no bar away), no taxi or bus service and three large rooms for helicopter passengers to don their survival suits before embarking.
- The closest airport to Scatsta Airport (SCS) is Tingwall Airport (LWK), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) S of SCS.
- It was abandoned after World War II, but reinstated as a civilian airport in 1978 to support the Shetland oil industry, and the Sullom Voe oil terminal in particular.