Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Chelinda, Malawi:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SMX to CEH:
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- About this route
- SMX Airport Information
- CEH Airport Information
- Facts about SMX
- Facts about CEH
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMX
- List of Nearest Airports to SMX
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMX
- List of Furthest Airports from SMX
- Map of Nearest Airports to CEH
- List of Nearest Airports to CEH
- Map of Furthest Airports from CEH
- List of Furthest Airports from CEH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Chelinda Airport (CEH), Chelinda, Malawi would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,102 miles (or 16,258 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 Chelinda 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 Chelinda Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMX / KSMX |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Santa Maria, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 34°53'56"N by 120°27'26"W |
Area Served: | Santa Maria, California |
Operator/Owner: | Santa Maria Public Airport District |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 261 feet (80 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SMX |
More Information: | SMX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CEH / FWCD |
Airport Name: | Chelinda Airport |
Location: | Chelinda, Malawi |
GPS Coordinates: | 10°33'29"S by 33°47'59"E |
Area Served: | Chelinda |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 7759 feet (2,365 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CEH |
More Information: | CEH Maps & Info |
Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):
- After the war Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria acquired the land and facilities through two grants in 1948.
- Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
- Besides the current Allegiant jet service, SkyWest Airlines operating as United Express via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines flies Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops and sometimes Bombardier CRJ-200 Regional Jet nonstop to Los Angeles that served the airport for many years.
- 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.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
- A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Chelinda Airport (CEH):
- The furthest airport from Chelinda Airport (CEH) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,572 miles (18,623 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Chelinda Airport (CEH) is Karonga Airport (KGJ), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of CEH.
- Because of Chelinda Airport's high elevation of 7,759 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CEH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CEH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Chelinda Airport (CEH) currently has only 1 runway.