Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Cairns, Queensland, Australia:
Departure Airport:
(44°2'43"N by 103°3'25"W)
Arrival Airport:
(16°53'12"S by 145°45'17"E)
Distance from RAP to CNS:
8,068.59 miles (12,985.10 km)
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- RAP Airport Information
- CNS Airport Information
- Facts about RAP
- Facts about CNS
- Map of Nearest Airports to RAP
- List of Nearest Airports to RAP
- Map of Furthest Airports from RAP
- List of Furthest Airports from RAP
- Map of Nearest Airports to CNS
- List of Nearest Airports to CNS
- Map of Furthest Airports from CNS
- List of Furthest Airports from CNS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Cairns Airport (CNS), Cairns, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,069 miles (or 12,985 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 Rapid City Regional Airport and Cairns 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 Rapid City Regional Airport and Cairns Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RAP / KRAP |
| Airport Name: | Rapid City Regional Airport |
| Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°2'43"N by 103°3'25"W |
| Area Served: | Rapid City, South Dakota |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Rapid City |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 3204 feet (977 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RAP |
| More Information: | RAP Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | CNS / YBCS |
| Airport Name: | Cairns Airport |
| Location: | Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 16°53'12"S by 145°45'17"E |
| Area Served: | Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| Operator/Owner: | North Queensland Airports Group |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from CNS |
| More Information: | CNS Maps & Info |
Facts about Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP):
- Rapid City Regional Airport covers 1,655 acres at an elevation of 3,204 feet above mean sea level.
- The furthest airport from Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,585 miles (17,035 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) N of RAP.
- Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) has 2 runways.
Facts about Cairns Airport (CNS):
- During the 1970s, Australia's two domestic airlines Trans Australia Airlines and Ansett provided regular scheduled services to most Australian capital cities and also Papua New Guinea, while in 1975 Air Niugini became the first international airline to commence flights out of Cairns, to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
- Ranks are located near both the International and Domestic Terminals.
- The furthest airport from Cairns Airport (CNS) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,832 miles (19,041 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
- Because of Cairns Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Cairns 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 Cairns Airport (CNS) is Mareeba Airfield (MRG), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) WSW of CNS.
- Cairns Airport (CNS) currently has only 1 runway.
- The airport has two passenger terminals on the eastern side of the airport on reclaimed mangrove swamp.
- Cairns Airport handled 3,848,728 passengers last year.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) N | Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |     |
| 2 | 46.83 miles (75.37 km) NW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 75.78 miles (121.95 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 83.47 miles (134.33 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 124.73 miles (200.73 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.22 miles (222.45 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 7 | 139.19 miles (224.01 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.22 miles (233.71 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 9 | 147.61 miles (237.56 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 149.07 miles (239.91 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 11 | 150.24 miles (241.78 km) ESE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 152.48 miles (245.39 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 166.27 miles (267.58 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 184.35 miles (296.68 km) ESE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| 15 | 188.01 miles (302.58 km) WSW | Casper–Natrona County International AirportCasper Army Airfield (CPR) | Casper, Wyoming, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,584.99 miles (17,034.84 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,465.49 miles (16,842.53 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,442.04 miles (16,804.79 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,420.15 miles (16,769.57 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,303.64 miles (16,582.06 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,293.76 miles (16,566.15 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,270.38 miles (16,528.53 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,253.94 miles (16,502.08 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,245.72 miles (16,488.85 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,202.10 miles (16,418.65 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,194.16 miles (16,405.87 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,188.74 miles (16,397.15 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,188.67 miles (16,397.03 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,178.61 miles (16,380.85 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,165.58 miles (16,359.87 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 25.52 miles (41.08 km) WSW | Mareeba Airfield (MRG) | Mareeba, Queensland, Australia | |
| 2 | 77.19 miles (124.22 km) SSE | Dunk Island Airport (DKI) | Dunk Island, Queensland, Australia | |
| 3 | 82.92 miles (133.44 km) WSW | Chillagoe Airport (LLG) | Chillagoe, Queensland, Australia | |
| 4 | 106.58 miles (171.52 km) NNW | Cooktown Airport (CTN) | Cooktown, Queensland, Australia | |
| 5 | 154.22 miles (248.20 km) N | Lizard Island Airport (LZR) | Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia | |
| 6 | 176.46 miles (283.99 km) SSE | Townsville Airport (TSV) | Townsville, Queensland, Australia | |
| 7 | 176.83 miles (284.58 km) WSW | Abingdon Airport (ABG) | Abingdon, Queensland, Australia | |
| 8 | 220.73 miles (355.23 km) S | Charters Towers Airport (CXT) | Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia | |
| 9 | 269.81 miles (434.21 km) SE | Bowen Airport (ZBO) | Bowen, Queensland, Australia | |
| 10 | 278.41 miles (448.05 km) NW | Coen Airport (CUQ) | Coen, Queensland, Australia | |
| 11 | 282.73 miles (455.02 km) WNW | Kowanyama Airport (KWM) | Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia | |
| 12 | 289.26 miles (465.52 km) SSW | Hughenden Airport (HGD) | Hughenden, Queensland, Australia | |
| 13 | 305.70 miles (491.98 km) SE | Whitsunday Airport (WSY) | Airlie Beach, Australia | |
| 14 | 307.87 miles (495.47 km) WNW | Edward River Airport (EDR) | Edward River, Queensland, Australia | |
| 15 | 309.26 miles (497.71 km) SE | Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) | Proserpine, Queensland, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,831.75 miles (19,041.31 km) W | Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO) | Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde | |
| 2 | 11,829.29 miles (19,037.35 km) W | Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE) | São Vicente, Cape Verde | |
| 3 | 11,777.46 miles (18,953.93 km) W | Preguiça Airport (SNE) | São Nicolau, Cape Verde | |
| 4 | 11,773.36 miles (18,947.34 km) W | São Filipe Airport (SFL) | Fogo, Cape Verde | |
| 5 | 11,766.73 miles (18,936.68 km) W | Mosteiros Airport (MTI) | Mosteiros, Cape Verde | |
| 6 | 11,709.77 miles (18,845.01 km) W | Praia International Airport (RAI) | Praia, Cape Verde | |
| 7 | 11,694.65 miles (18,820.66 km) W | Maio Airport (MMO) | Maio, Cape Verde | |
| 8 | 11,689.66 miles (18,812.64 km) W | Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) | Sal Island, Cape Verde | |
| 9 | 11,682.89 miles (18,801.74 km) W | Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC) | Boa Vista, Cape Verde | |
| 10 | 11,313.49 miles (18,207.25 km) W | Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport (DKR) | Dakar, Senegal | |
| 11 | 11,282.15 miles (18,156.81 km) WNW | La Güera Airport (ZLG) | La Güera, Western Sahara | |
| 12 | 11,278.06 miles (18,150.24 km) WNW | Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB) | Nouadhibou, Mauritania | |
| 13 | 11,257.57 miles (18,117.26 km) W | Saint-Louis Airport (XLS) | Saint-Louis, Senegal | |
| 14 | 11,238.48 miles (18,086.54 km) W | Banjul International Airport (BJL) | Banjul, Gambia | |
| 15 | 11,228.64 miles (18,070.70 km) W | Nouakchott International Airport (NKC) | Nouakchott, Mauritania | |