Nonstop flight route between Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:
(24°57'28"N by 46°41'56"E)
Arrival Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Distance from RUH to FFD:
3,128.72 miles (5,035.17 km)
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- About this route
- RUH Airport Information
- FFD Airport Information
- Facts about RUH
- Facts about FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to RUH
- List of Nearest Airports to RUH
- Map of Furthest Airports from RUH
- List of Furthest Airports from RUH
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between King Khalid International Airport (RUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,129 miles (or 5,035 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 King Khalid International Airport and RAF Fairford, 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 King Khalid International Airport and RAF Fairford. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RUH / OERK |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 24°57'28"N by 46°41'56"E |
| Area Served: | Riyadh |
| Operator/Owner: | The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 2049 feet (625 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RUH |
| More Information: | RUH Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Facts about King Khalid International Airport (RUH):
- The 1703rd ARW was composed mainly of KC-135 Stratotankers and used the north western firehouse as its headquarters of air operations.
- The closest airport to King Khalid International Airport (RUH) is Dawadmi Domestic Airport (DWD), which is located 166 miles (266 kilometers) WSW of RUH.
- King Khalid International Airport handled 13,919,000 passengers last year.
- KKIA was the first airport in the Kingdom to install airbridges, to speed up handling and turnaround times.
- The furthest airport from King Khalid International Airport (RUH) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to King Khalid International Airport (meaning King Khalid International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,273 miles (19,752 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
- In addition to being known as "King Khalid International Airport", another name for RUH is "مطار الملك خالد الدولي".
- Heads of state and other high-ranking VIP visitors to the Kingdom are greeted in the Royal Pavilion.
- King Khalid International Airport (RUH) has 2 runways.
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- On 14 January 2004, the 420th Air Base Group was established at RAF Fairford to improve the control of its geographically separated units that had been aligned beneath the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall.
- The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
- RAF Lyneham's position as the primary tactical transport base for the RAF was emphasised in February 1971 when Nos.
- On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 165.57 miles (266.46 km) WSW | Dawadmi Domestic Airport (DWD) | Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia |     |
| 2 | 175.75 miles (282.84 km) E | Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) | Hofuf, Saudi Arabia | |
| 3 | 204.53 miles (329.16 km) WNW | Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport (ELQ) | Buraidah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 4 | 219.41 miles (353.11 km) ENE | King Fahd International Airport (DMM) | Dammam, Saudi Arabia | |
| 5 | 233.33 miles (375.50 km) ENE | King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | |
| 6 | 236.02 miles (379.83 km) N | Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI) | Qaisumah, Hafar Al-Batin, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia | |
| 7 | 261.38 miles (420.64 km) ENE | Bahrain International Airport (BAH) | Al Muharraq, Bahrain | |
| 8 | 289.15 miles (465.34 km) E | Al-Udeid Air Base (IUD) | Doha, Qatar | |
| 9 | 305.29 miles (491.31 km) NNE | Kuwait International Airport (KWI) | Kuwait City, Kuwait | |
| 10 | 307.88 miles (495.48 km) E | Hamad International Airport (DOH) | Doha, Qatar | |
| 11 | 354.83 miles (571.04 km) WNW | Ha'il Regional Airport (HAS) | Ha'il, Saudi Arabia | |
| 12 | 355.12 miles (571.51 km) E | Dalma Airport (ZDY) | Dalma (island), United Arab Emirates | |
| 13 | 375.12 miles (603.70 km) NE | Bushehr Airport (BUZ) | Bushehr, Iran | |
| 14 | 385.22 miles (619.95 km) NNE | Abadan International Airport (ABD) | Abadan, Iran | |
| 15 | 390.77 miles (628.88 km) N | Basrah International AirportBasrah Airport (BSR) | Basrah, Iraq | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,273.25 miles (19,751.84 km) SE | Totegegie Airport (GMR) | Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia | |
| 2 | 11,994.21 miles (19,302.76 km) SE | Tureira Airport (ZTA) | Tureia, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 3 | 11,918.38 miles (19,180.73 km) SSE | Pukarua Airport (PUK) | Pukarua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 4 | 11,911.36 miles (19,169.43 km) SE | Nukutavake Airport (NUK) | Nukutavake, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 5 | 11,753.31 miles (18,915.07 km) SE | Hao Airport (HOI) | Hao, Tuamotu Island, French Polynesia | |
| 6 | 11,637.27 miles (18,728.33 km) SE | Fangatau Airport (FGU) | Fangatau, French Polynesia | |
| 7 | 11,582.05 miles (18,639.46 km) SE | Raroia Airport (RRR) | Raroia, French Polynesia | |
| 8 | 11,553.34 miles (18,593.25 km) SE | Makemo Airport (MKP) | Makemo, French Polynesia | |
| 9 | 11,491.34 miles (18,493.47 km) ESE | Anaa Airport (AAA) | Anaa, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 10 | 11,428.98 miles (18,393.12 km) SE | Fakarava Airport (FAV) | Fakarava, Society Islands, French Polynesia | |
| 11 | 11,368.99 miles (18,296.57 km) SE | Apataki Airport (APK) | Apataki, French Polynesia | |
| 12 | 11,344.02 miles (18,256.38 km) SE | Arutua Airport (AXR) | Arutua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 13 | 11,334.36 miles (18,240.85 km) SE | Manihi Airport (XMH) | Manihi, French Polynesia | |
| 14 | 11,324.82 miles (18,225.48 km) SE | Ahe Airport (AHE) | Ahe, French Polynesia | |
| 15 | 11,322.27 miles (18,221.37 km) SSE | Atuona Airport (AUQ) | Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |