Nonstop flight route between Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and Santa Ana, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
 
    Arrival Airport:
 
    Distance from RML to NZJ:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- RML Airport Information
- NZJ Airport Information
- Facts about RML
- Facts about NZJ
- Map of Nearest Airports to RML
- List of Nearest Airports to RML
- Map of Furthest Airports from RML
- List of Furthest Airports from RML
- Map of Nearest Airports to NZJ
- List of Nearest Airports to NZJ
- Map of Furthest Airports from NZJ
- List of Furthest Airports from NZJ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ratmalana Airport (RML), Ratmalana, Sri Lanka and MCAS El Toro (NZJ), Santa Ana, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,410 miles (or 15,144 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 MCAS El Toro, 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 MCAS El Toro. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RML / VCCC | 
| Airport Names: | 
 | 
| Location: | Ratmalana, Sri Lanka | 
| GPS Coordinates: | 6°49'19"N by 79°53'10"E | 
| Area Served: | Colombo | 
| Operator/Owner: | Sri Lankan Government | 
| Airport Type: | Public / Military | 
| Elevation: | 16 feet (5 meters) | 
| # of Runways: | 1 | 
| View all routes: | Routes from RML | 
| More Information: | RML Maps & Info | 
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | NZJ / KNZJ | 
| Airport Name: | MCAS El Toro | 
| Location: | Santa Ana, California, United States | 
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°40'33"N by 117°43'51"W | 
| Operator/Owner: | United States Marine Corps | 
| Airport Type: | Military | 
| Elevation: | 383 feet (117 meters) | 
| # of Runways: | 5 | 
| View all routes: | Routes from NZJ | 
| More Information: | NZJ Maps & Info | 
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.
- On 11 August 1952, 3 months after the inaugural service of a passenger jet aircraft, BOAC began its Comet service between Colombo and London.
- In addition to being known as "Ratmalana Airport", another name for RML is "රත්මලාන ගුවන්තොටුපළஇரத்மலானை விமான நிலைய".
- Ratmalana Airport (RML) currently has only 1 runway.
- In 1964, the government decided to build the new Bandaranaike International Airport north of the city, to replace Ratmalana.
- The closest airport to Ratmalana Airport (RML) is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) N of RML.
- Ratmalana airport was declared open for small international commercial flights.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about MCAS El Toro (NZJ):
- The closing of MCAS El Toro ignited a political firestorm over the eventual fate of the facility.
- Because of MCAS El Toro's relatively low elevation of 383 feet, planes can take off or land at MCAS El Toro 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 base headquarters was established on November 4, 1942 and the first landing occurred in late November when a Major Micheal Carmichael, flying from Camp Kearny, was forced to make an emergency landing among the construction equipment.
- In May 1942, Lieutenant Colonel William Fox was directed to select the sites for all of the Marine Corps' West Coast air stations.
- MCAS El Toro (NZJ) has 5 runways.
- The furthest airport from MCAS El Toro (NZJ) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,486 miles (18,486 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- The closest airport to MCAS El Toro (NZJ) is John Wayne Airport (SNA), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) W of NZJ.
- This faction lobbied strongly in favor of other uses for the property.




