Nonstop flight route between Safford, Arizona, United States and Port Elizabeth, South Africa:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SAD to PLZ:
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- About this route
- SAD Airport Information
- PLZ Airport Information
- Facts about SAD
- Facts about PLZ
- Map of Nearest Airports to SAD
- List of Nearest Airports to SAD
- Map of Furthest Airports from SAD
- List of Furthest Airports from SAD
- Map of Nearest Airports to PLZ
- List of Nearest Airports to PLZ
- Map of Furthest Airports from PLZ
- List of Furthest Airports from PLZ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Safford Regional Airport (SAD), Safford, Arizona, United States and Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), Port Elizabeth, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,875 miles (or 15,893 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 Safford Regional Airport and Port Elizabeth 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 Safford Regional Airport and Port Elizabeth International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SAD / KSAD |
Airport Name: | Safford Regional Airport |
Location: | Safford, Arizona, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°51'11"N by 109°38'6"W |
Area Served: | Safford, Arizona |
Operator/Owner: | City of Safford |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 3179 feet (969 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SAD |
More Information: | SAD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PLZ / FAPE |
Airport Name: | Port Elizabeth International Airport |
Location: | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'4"S by 25°36'37"E |
Area Served: | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 226 feet (69 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from PLZ |
More Information: | PLZ Maps & Info |
Facts about Safford Regional Airport (SAD):
- The airport covers 630 acres at an elevation of 3,179 feet.
- The closest airport to Safford Regional Airport (SAD) is Greenlee County Airport (CFT), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) ENE of SAD.
- Safford Regional Airport (SAD) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Safford Regional Airport (SAD) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,434 miles (18,401 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
Facts about Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ):
- The closest airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) ENE of PLZ.
- Because of Port Elizabeth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 226 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Elizabeth International 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.
- August 1998 - A South African Airways Boeing 747-400 landed at Port Elizabeth Airport to be officially named 'Ibayhi' the Xhosa word for Port Elizabeth.
- These facilities served the community till 2000 when plans for a major terminal upgrade was drawn-up.
- Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,567 miles (18,615 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
- 17 May 2004 - John Travolta landed his personal Qantas Boeing 707 at the airport directly from Mauritius as he was visiting a nearby private game reserve.
- In 2013, the airport served 1,269,634 passengers.
- A highlight in Port Elizabeth's history was the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town in 1917, made by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller.