Nonstop flight route between Ponce, Puerto Rico and Dire Dawa, Ethiopia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico and Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), Dire Dawa, Ethiopia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,196 miles (or 11,581 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 large distance between Mercedita Airport and Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Mercedita Airport and Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• The airport has been enlarged on various occasions.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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.
• During 2007, more passengers passed through the airport than the population of the entire city of Ponce itself.
• The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet long by 50 feet wide.
• Federal Express and DHL operate out of this airport for the distribution of surface freight.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to 8,000 ft to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.
• On August 12, 1981, an Air Florida plane with 125 Haitian refugees aboard landed at Mercedita en route to the Fort Allen facility in Juana Diaz, part of the 1981 Haitian refugees exodus.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR):

• On 27 August 1981, Douglas C-47B ET-AGX of RRC Air Services was written off when the port undercarriage collapsed on landing.
• The closest airport to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Wilwal International Airport (JIJ), which is located 75 miles (120 kilometers) ESE of DIR.
• The furthest airport from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (meaning Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport, also known as Dire Dawa International Airport, is an international airport serving Dire Dawa, a city in eastern Ethiopia.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport resides at an elevation of 3,829 feet above mean sea level.
• The airport was named after Emperor Haile Selassie's elder half-brother, Dejazmach Yilma Makonnen, who preceded him as governor of Harar.
• In addition to being known as "Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport", another name for DIR is "አባ ጤና ደጃዝማች ይልማ ዓለም አቀፍ የአየር ማረፊያ".