Nonstop flight route between San Antonio, Texas, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,913 miles (or 7,906 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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about San Antonio International Airport (SAT):

• The Airport is undergoing a major, multi-million dollar expansion project which will add new terminals and parking facilities.
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has 3 runways.
• San Antonio International Airport handled 8,034,720 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is Randolph Air Force Base Joint Base San Antonio (RND), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) E of SAT.
• The furthest airport from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,114 miles (17,886 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The bi-level roadway in front of Terminal 1 was opened to traffic November 2009 and extended to provide service to the new terminals.
• Because of San Antonio International Airport's relatively low elevation of 809 feet, planes can take off or land at San Antonio 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.
• On August 1, 2012 both terminals of the airport were evacuated due to a bomb threat called from the parking garage.
• The former Terminal 2 was built in 1951–53, along with the FAA control tower and a baggage claim area.
• San Antonio International Airport has two terminals with an overall 24 jet bridge gates.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.
• RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display.
• 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.