Nonstop flight route between Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD), Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,008 miles (or 8,059 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 Quetzalcóatl International Airport and MoD St Athan, 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 Quetzalcóatl International Airport and MoD St Athan. 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 Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD):

• Quetzalcóatl International Airport handled 84,443 passengers last year.
• Because of Quetzalcóatl International Airport's relatively low elevation of 484 feet, planes can take off or land at Quetzalcóatl 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 closest airport to Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD) is Laredo International Airport (LRD), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) NE of NLD.
• The furthest airport from Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,234 miles (18,080 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Quetzalcóatl International Airport", another name for NLD is "Aeropuerto Internacional Quetzalcóatl".
• Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012.
• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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 MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The MOD continued to negotiate the project with the Metrix Consortium, but the price rose several times, reaching £14 billion in mid-2009.
• On 26 August 1993 an ATC civilian instructor was seriously injured and the RAF Volunteer Reserve pilot, Group Captain Roger Sweatman, was killed when their Chipmunk trainer, on an air experience flight, crashed after encountering difficulties during a simulated emergency low-height manoeuvre on take-off.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• The base has been home to the RAF No.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• St Athan also became the major RAF maintenance base for Vulcan, Victor, Buccaner, Phantom, Harrier, Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and VC10 aircraft, originally under direct RAF control, but latterly under the auspices of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• RAF St Athan has been used to house a number of army units throughout its life and, in 2003, the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards moved from Aldershot to St Athan - the first time they have been based in Wales since they were formed in 1915.