Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,813 miles (or 9,355 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 Maria Public Airport and Carriel Sur 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 Maria Public Airport and Carriel Sur 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• 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 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.
• 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.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• 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.

Facts about Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP):

• Although plans of building an airport near Concepción date back to 1954, construction began only in 1960, shortly after the 22 May earthquake, as it became imperative to count with a modern airport to link Chile's south-central region with the rest of the country.
• The furthest airport from Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) is Qingyang Airport (IQN), which is nearly antipodal to Carriel Sur International Airport (meaning Carriel Sur International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Qingyang Airport), and is located 12,360 miles (19,891 kilometers) away in Qingyang, Gansu, China.
• In addition to being known as "Carriel Sur International Airport", another name for CCP is "Aeropuerto Internacional Carriel Sur (Concepción)".
• Despite being the second most important airport in Chile, Carriel Sur does not count with radar service for approach/departure control.
• The closest airport to Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) is General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI), which is located 59 miles (94 kilometers) ENE of CCP.
• Because of Carriel Sur International Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Carriel Sur 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.