Nonstop flight route between San Francisco, California, United States and Lamu, Kenya:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SFO to LAU:
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- About this route
- SFO Airport Information
- LAU Airport Information
- Facts about SFO
- Facts about LAU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SFO
- List of Nearest Airports to SFO
- Map of Furthest Airports from SFO
- List of Furthest Airports from SFO
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAU
- List of Nearest Airports to LAU
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAU
- List of Furthest Airports from LAU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California, United States and Manda Airport (LAU), Lamu, Kenya would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,773 miles (or 15,727 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 Francisco International Airport and Manda 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 San Francisco International Airport and Manda Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SFO / KSFO |
Airport Name: | San Francisco International Airport |
Location: | San Francisco, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°37'8"N by 122°22'30"W |
Area Served: | San Francisco |
Operator/Owner: | City & County of San Francisco |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 13 feet (4 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from SFO |
More Information: | SFO Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAU / HKLU |
Airport Name: | Manda Airport |
Location: | Lamu, Kenya |
GPS Coordinates: | 2°14'45"S by 40°54'35"E |
Area Served: | Lamu |
Operator/Owner: | Government of Kenya |
Airport Type: | Public, Civilian |
Elevation: | 20 feet (6 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAU |
More Information: | LAU Maps & Info |
Facts about San Francisco International Airport (SFO):
- Because of San Francisco International Airport's relatively low elevation of 13 feet, planes can take off or land at San Francisco 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.
- Formerly known as the "South Terminal," Terminal 1 has Boarding Area B and Boarding Area C.
- The airport closed following the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989, reopening the following morning.
- On October 4, 2007, an Airbus A380 jumbo jet made its first visit to the airport.
- The San Francisco International Airport BART station, located in Parking Garage G of the International Terminal, is the only direct rail link between the airport, the city of San Francisco, and the general Bay Area.
- The closest airport to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is Half Moon Bay AirportHalf Moon Bay Flight Strip (HAF), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) SW of SFO.
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has 4 runways.
- San Francisco International Airport handled 44,477,209 passengers last year.
- Since the mid-2000s recovery at SFO has been evident.
- The furthest airport from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,365 miles (18,290 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- San Francisco International Airport is an international airport located 13 miles south of downtown San Francisco, California, near Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County.
Facts about Manda Airport (LAU):
- Manda Airport is a small civilian airport on Manda Island, serving the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya.
- Manda Airport (LAU) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Manda Airport (LAU) is Kiwayu Airport (KWY), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NE of LAU.
- Because of Manda Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Manda 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 furthest airport from Manda Airport (LAU) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,607 miles (18,679 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.