Nonstop flight route between Port Elizabeth, South Africa and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from PLZ to BUQ:
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- About this route
- PLZ Airport Information
- BUQ Airport Information
- Facts about PLZ
- Facts about BUQ
- Map of Nearest Airports to PLZ
- List of Nearest Airports to PLZ
- Map of Furthest Airports from PLZ
- List of Furthest Airports from PLZ
- Map of Nearest Airports to BUQ
- List of Nearest Airports to BUQ
- Map of Furthest Airports from BUQ
- List of Furthest Airports from BUQ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), Port Elizabeth, South Africa and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ), Bulawayo, Zimbabwe would travel a Great Circle distance of 982 miles (or 1,581 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 relatively short distance between Port Elizabeth International Airport and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PLZ / FAPE |
Airport Name: | Port Elizabeth International Airport |
Location: | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'4"S by 25°36'37"E |
Area Served: | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 226 feet (69 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from PLZ |
More Information: | PLZ Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BUQ / FVBU |
Airport Name: | Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport |
Location: | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |
GPS Coordinates: | 20°1'2"S by 28°37'4"E |
Operator/Owner: | Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 4359 feet (1,329 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from BUQ |
More Information: | BUQ Maps & Info |
Facts about Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ):
- June, 2010 - South African Airways operated an Airbus A340-200 to Port Elizabeth to help manage the extra volume of people during the FIFA World Cup 2010.
- Because of Port Elizabeth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 226 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,567 miles (18,615 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) ENE of PLZ.
- 17 May 2004 - John Travolta landed his personal Qantas Boeing 707 at the airport directly from Mauritius as he was visiting a nearby private game reserve.
- Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) has 2 runways.
- There is also a branch of the South African Air Force Museum at the airport.
- During World War II, the airfield was extended to accommodate 42 Air School for the Royal Air Force and 6 Squadron South African Air Force on the southern and eastern sides of the field.
- A highlight in Port Elizabeth's history was the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town in 1917, made by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller.
Facts about Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ):
- Because of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport's high elevation of 4,359 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at BUQ. Combined with a high temperature, this could make BUQ a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is nearly antipodal to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (meaning Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hilo International Airport), and is located 12,198 miles (19,630 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) is Gweru-Thornhill Air Base (GWE), which is located 90 miles (145 kilometers) ENE of BUQ.