Nonstop flight route between Santa Barbara, California, United States and Medina, Saudi Arabia:
Departure Airport:
(34°25'33"N by 119°50'25"W)
Arrival Airport:
(24°33'11"N by 39°42'17"E)
Distance from SBA to MED:
8,146.60 miles (13,110.65 km)
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- About this route
- SBA Airport Information
- MED Airport Information
- Facts about SBA
- Facts about MED
- Map of Nearest Airports to SBA
- List of Nearest Airports to SBA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SBA
- List of Furthest Airports from SBA
- Map of Nearest Airports to MED
- List of Nearest Airports to MED
- Map of Furthest Airports from MED
- List of Furthest Airports from MED
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, California, United States and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED), Medina, Saudi Arabia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,147 miles (or 13,111 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 Santa Barbara Airport and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz 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 Santa Barbara Airport and Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz 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: | SBA / KSBA |
| Airport Name: | Santa Barbara Airport |
| Location: | Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°25'33"N by 119°50'25"W |
| Area Served: | Santa Barbara, California |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Santa Barbara |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 3 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SBA |
| More Information: | SBA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MED / OEMA |
| Airport Name: | Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport |
| Location: | Medina, Saudi Arabia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 24°33'11"N by 39°42'17"E |
| Area Served: | Medina |
| Operator/Owner: | TIBAH Airports Operation Co. Ltd (TAV) |
| Airport Type: | Privatized |
| Elevation: | 2151 feet (656 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MED |
| More Information: | MED Maps & Info |
Facts about Santa Barbara Airport (SBA):
- Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) has 3 runways.
- Until 2002 Santa Barbara Airport was on a mainline jet aircraft route between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- Because of Santa Barbara Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Barbara 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.
- As airplane manufacturing grew in the late 1930s that airstrip developed into an airfield.
- The furthest airport from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,487 miles (18,486 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- The closest airport to Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is Santa Ynez Airport (SQA), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) NW of SBA.
Facts about Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED):
- The closest airport to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) is Yanbu International Airport (YNB), which is located 107 miles (172 kilometers) WSW of MED.
- Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport handled 1,592,000 passengers last year.
- On 16 March 2001, the airport was the scene of a bloody end to the hijacking of a Russian based Vnukovo Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 jet bound from Istanbul to Moscow carrying 162 passengers.
- The furthest airport from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) is Tureira Airport (ZTA), which is nearly antipodal to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (meaning Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tureira Airport), and is located 12,153 miles (19,559 kilometers) away in Tureia, Tuamotus, French Polynesia.
- Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) has 2 runways.
- On 5 January 2014, a Saudia Boeing 767-300, flight SV2841 from Mashhad, Iran made an emergency landing after one of its main landing gear failed to deploy.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 18.32 miles (29.48 km) NW | Santa Ynez Airport (SQA) | Santa Ynez, California, United States |     |
| 2 | 25.62 miles (41.22 km) S | Santa Cruz Island Airport (SZN) | Santa Barbara, California, United States | |
| 3 | 39.34 miles (63.31 km) ESE | Oxnard Airport (OXR) | Oxnard, California, United States | |
| 4 | 39.34 miles (63.32 km) WNW | Lompoc Airport (LPC) | Lompoc, California, United States | |
| 5 | 44.73 miles (71.99 km) E | Santa Paula Airport (SZP) | Santa Paula, California, United States | |
| 6 | 46.18 miles (74.32 km) ESE | Naval Air Station Point Mugu (NTD) | Point Mugu, California, United States | |
| 7 | 46.50 miles (74.83 km) WNW | Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG) | Lompoc, California, United States | |
| 8 | 47.93 miles (77.14 km) NW | Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) | Santa Maria, California, United States | |
| 9 | 72.15 miles (116.11 km) NW | San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) | San Luis Obispo, California, United States | |
| 10 | 78.49 miles (126.32 km) E | Van Nuys Airport (VNY) | Van Nuys, California, United States | |
| 11 | 80.53 miles (129.60 km) NW | O'Sullivan Army Heliport (CSL) | Camp San Luis Obispo, California, United States | |
| 12 | 82.21 miles (132.31 km) E | Whiteman Airport (WHP) | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| 13 | 82.54 miles (132.84 km) NNE | Meadows Field (BFL) | Bakersfield, California, United States | |
| 14 | 83.15 miles (133.82 km) NNE | Shafter Airport (MIT) | Shafter, California, United States | |
| 15 | 84.26 miles (135.60 km) ESE | Santa Monica Airport (SMO) | Santa Monica, California, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,486.68 miles (18,485.97 km) SSE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 2 | 11,459.68 miles (18,442.53 km) SSE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 3 | 11,458.01 miles (18,439.84 km) S | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 4 | 11,414.61 miles (18,370.00 km) SE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 5 | 11,404.53 miles (18,353.76 km) SSW | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 6 | 11,294.07 miles (18,176.00 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 7 | 11,274.76 miles (18,144.92 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 11,239.45 miles (18,088.10 km) SE | Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) | Fianarantsoa, Madagascar | |
| 9 | 11,128.93 miles (17,910.23 km) SSE | Toamasino Airport (TMM) | Toamasina, Madagascar | |
| 10 | 11,119.71 miles (17,895.39 km) SE | Manja Airport (MJA) | Manja, Menabe, Madagascar | |
| 11 | 11,106.03 miles (17,873.38 km) SE | Andavadoaka Airport (DVD) | Andavadoaka, Toliara province, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar | |
| 12 | 11,105.43 miles (17,872.41 km) SE | Ivato International Airport (TNR) | Antananarivo, Madagascar | |
| 13 | 11,093.78 miles (17,853.67 km) SE | Morombe Airport (MXM) | Morombe, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 11,079.30 miles (17,830.36 km) SSE | Sainte Marie Airport (SMS) | Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar | |
| 15 | 11,070.95 miles (17,816.93 km) SE | Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) | Miandrivazo, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 107.14 miles (172.42 km) WSW | Yanbu International Airport (YNB) | Yanbu (Yenbo), Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 2 | 201.60 miles (324.44 km) S | King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 3 | 218.68 miles (351.93 km) SSE | Ta'if Regional Airport (TIF) | Ta'if, Saudi Arabia | |
| 4 | 234.20 miles (376.91 km) NNE | Ha'il Regional Airport (HAS) | Ha'il, Saudi Arabia | |
| 5 | 277.73 miles (446.96 km) E | Dawadmi Domestic Airport (DWD) | Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia | |
| 6 | 281.18 miles (452.51 km) ENE | Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport (ELQ) | Buraidah, Saudi Arabia | |
| 7 | 303.42 miles (488.30 km) W | Marsa Alam (RMF) | Marsa Alam, Egypt | |
| 8 | 318.89 miles (513.21 km) SSE | Al-Baha Domestic Airport (ABT) | Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia | |
| 9 | 325.26 miles (523.46 km) NW | Tabuk Regional Airport (Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Airport ) (TUU) | Tabuk, Saudi Arabia | |
| 10 | 362.29 miles (583.04 km) N | Al-Jawf Domestic Airport (AJF) | Al-Jawf, Saudi Arabia | |
| 11 | 362.29 miles (583.04 km) N | Al-Jawf Domestic Airport (AJO) | Aljouf, Yemen | |
| 12 | 366.60 miles (589.99 km) SSE | Bisha Domestic Airport (BHH) | Bisha, Saudi Arabia | |
| 13 | 387.51 miles (623.63 km) SSW | Port Sudan New International Airport (PZU) | Port Sudan, Sudan | |
| 14 | 405.15 miles (652.03 km) NW | Sharm el-Sheikh International Airpoirt (SSH) | Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | |
| 15 | 409.44 miles (658.93 km) WNW | Hurghada International Airport (HRG) | Hurghada, Egypt | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,153.16 miles (19,558.57 km) SSW | Tureira Airport (ZTA) | Tureia, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 2 | 12,080.15 miles (19,441.07 km) WSW | Totegegie Airport (GMR) | Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia | |
| 3 | 12,059.94 miles (19,408.55 km) SSW | Nukutavake Airport (NUK) | Nukutavake, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 4 | 11,987.22 miles (19,291.51 km) S | Hao Airport (HOI) | Hao, Tuamotu Island, French Polynesia | |
| 5 | 11,955.83 miles (19,240.99 km) SSW | Pukarua Airport (PUK) | Pukarua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 6 | 11,845.18 miles (19,062.93 km) SSE | Makemo Airport (MKP) | Makemo, French Polynesia | |
| 7 | 11,836.06 miles (19,048.24 km) SE | Anaa Airport (AAA) | Anaa, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 8 | 11,832.34 miles (19,042.26 km) SSE | Raroia Airport (RRR) | Raroia, French Polynesia | |
| 9 | 11,832.15 miles (19,041.95 km) S | Fangatau Airport (FGU) | Fangatau, French Polynesia | |
| 10 | 11,754.71 miles (18,917.32 km) SSE | Fakarava Airport (FAV) | Fakarava, Society Islands, French Polynesia | |
| 11 | 11,720.35 miles (18,862.02 km) E | Rurutu Airport (RUR) | Rurutu, French Polynesia | |
| 12 | 11,700.41 miles (18,829.94 km) SSE | Apataki Airport (APK) | Apataki, French Polynesia | |
| 13 | 11,674.01 miles (18,787.45 km) SSE | Arutua Airport (AXR) | Arutua, Tuamotus, French Polynesia | |
| 14 | 11,666.20 miles (18,774.89 km) SE | Fa'a'ā International Airport (PPT) | Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia | |
| 15 | 11,655.62 miles (18,757.86 km) SE | Moorea Airport (MOZ) | Moorea, Windward Islands, French Polynesia | |