Nonstop flight route between Thessaloniki, Greece and Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG), Thessaloniki, Greece and Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), Port Elizabeth, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,151 miles (or 8,289 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 Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" and Port Elizabeth 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 Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" and Port Elizabeth 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 Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG):

• In September 1965 a new terminal building opened on a new location.
• Because of Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia"'s relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" 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.
• In addition to being known as "Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia"", another name for SKG is "Διεθνής Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Θεσσαλονίκης "Μακεδονία"".
• Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" handled 4,085,032 passengers last year.
• Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG) has 2 runways.
• The airport of Thessaloniki is also the home ground of Aeolus Aviation Academy, which is a privately owned FTO and Thessaloniki Aeroclub, both offering pilot training.
• The furthest airport from Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,419 miles (18,377 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• As part of a comprehensive masterplan released by the government in 2002, several projects have been started to improve Macedonia International Airport.
• The closest airport to Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG) is Kozani National Airport (KZI), which is located 62 miles (99 kilometers) WSW of SKG.

Facts about Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ):

• 17 May 2004 - John Travolta landed his personal Qantas Boeing 707 at the airport directly from Mauritius as he was visiting a nearby private game reserve.
• Air Force Station Port Elizabeth is home to C Flight of 15 Squadron of the South African Air Force.
• Construction of the permanent terminal buildings, runways and an air traffic control building began in 1950.
• A highlight in Port Elizabeth's history was the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town in 1917, made by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller.
• June, 2010 - South African Airways operated an Airbus A340-200 to Port Elizabeth to help manage the extra volume of people during the FIFA World Cup 2010.
• Because of Port Elizabeth International Airport's relatively low elevation of 226 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) ENE of PLZ.
• The furthest airport from Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,567 miles (18,615 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
• Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) has 2 runways.
• In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup runway 08/26 was going to be extended from 1,980m to 3,000m with a view to accommodating International flights, although this never happened.