Nonstop flight route between Sfax, Tunisia and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA), Sfax, Tunisia and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,320 miles (or 8,561 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 Sfax–Thyna International Airport and Des Moines 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 Sfax–Thyna International Airport and Des Moines International 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 Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA):

• In addition to being known as "Sfax–Thyna International Airport", other names for SFA include "Aéroport International de Sfax–Thyna" and "مطار صفاقس الدولي".
• The furthest airport from Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,702 miles (18,833 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The airport has undergone several extensions and improvements, the most important development and remodeling of the terminal took place in 1988 when the runway was extended.
• The airport has the head office of Syphax Airlines.
• Because of Sfax–Thyna International Airport's relatively low elevation of 85 feet, planes can take off or land at Sfax–Thyna 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.
• The closest airport to Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) is Djerba–Zarzis International Airport (DJE), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) S of SFA.
• Sfax–Thyna International Airport (SFA) currently has only 1 runway.
• During World War II, the airport was known as Sfax Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force during the North African Campaign.

Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):

• The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
• Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
• Des Moines International Airport is a civil-military public airport three miles southwest of Des Moines, in Polk County, Iowa.
• As of March 2014, Delta Air Lines handled of DSM passengers, followed by United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.
• On March 13, 2008, an Atlanta-bound ASA flight was delayed more than five hours when a mouse was discovered shortly before take-off from DSM.
• The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In 2012, the airport had 1,038,484 enplanementsFederal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 853,596 in 2009 and 932,828 in 2011.
• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
• Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
• The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
• This airport is in in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.