Nonstop flight route between Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ratmalana Airport (RML), Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and Blackbushe Airport (BBS), Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,451 miles (or 8,772 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 Ratmalana Airport and Blackbushe 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 Ratmalana Airport and Blackbushe 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 Ratmalana Airport (RML):

• The furthest airport from Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,628 miles (18,713 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• Ratmalana Airport (RML) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport is much closer to the Colombo city center compared to the larger Bandaranaike International Airport which is 32 km north of the city.
• In addition to being known as "Ratmalana Airport", another name for RML is "රත්මලාන ගුවන්තොටුපළஇரத்மலானை விமான நிலைய".
• In 1964, the government decided to build the new Bandaranaike International Airport north of the city, to replace Ratmalana.
• Because of Ratmalana Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Ratmalana 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 the Second World War it was used as a Royal Air Force base, with No 30 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from there against Japanese Navy aircraft.
• The closest airport to Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) N of RML.
• Ratmalana airport at one time had the country's main air terminal, with the Douglas DC-3 Dakota and Lockheed Constellation aeroplanes of Air Ceylon flying out of it.

Facts about Blackbushe Airport (BBS):

• The closest airport to Blackbushe Airport (BBS) is Farnborough Airport (FAB), which is located only 5 miles (7 kilometers) SE of BBS.
• It is one of several airfields eclipsed since 1958 by the growth of London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
• Because of Blackbushe Airport's relatively low elevation of 325 feet, planes can take off or land at Blackbushe 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.
• In February 1947 the airfield was opened as Blackbushe Airport under the control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• The RAF Station was closed on 15 November 1946.
• The furthest airport from Blackbushe Airport (BBS) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,884 miles (19,126 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• Blackbushe Airport (BBS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Overseas-based charter airlines often used Blackbushe for their flight to the UK, normally finding that the airfield was open for operations, even when other airports in the London area were closed by fog.