Nonstop flight route between Mahé, Seychelles and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Seychelles International Airport (SEZ), Mahé, Seychelles and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,333 miles (or 16,629 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 Seychelles International Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Seychelles International Airport and Santa Maria Public Airport. 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 Seychelles International Airport (SEZ):

• In addition to being known as "Seychelles International Airport", another name for SEZ is "Aéroport International de Seychelles – Pointe Larue".
• The furthest airport from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,024 miles (17,741 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Construction works for the substantial expansion of the Seychelles International Airport started in July 1980.
• The closest airport to Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) is Praslin Island Airport (PRI), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) NNE of SEZ.
• In 1972 John Faulkner Taylor founded the first local aircraft company called Air Mahé, which operated a Piper PA-34 Seneca between Praslin, Fregate and Mahé Islands.
• Because of Seychelles International Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Seychelles 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.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• The original Allan Hancock Field was established in 1927 at another location, between Jones Street to the north, Stowell Road to the south, Bradley Road to the east and Miller Street to the west.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.