Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Ghazni, Afghanistan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Ghazni Airport (GZI), Ghazni, Afghanistan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,674 miles (or 12,350 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 Ghazni 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 Ghazni 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):

• During its use by the military Santa Maria AAF also controlled Estrella Army Airfield, near Paso Robles as an auxiliary airfield to support the pilot training activity.
• The first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• 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.

Facts about Ghazni Airport (GZI):

• The furthest airport from Ghazni Airport (GZI) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,978 miles (19,277 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Ghazni Airport (GZI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Ghazni Airport (GZI) is Sardeh Band Airport (SBF), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) SE of GZI.
• In addition to being known as "Ghazni Airport", other names for GZI include "Ghazni Airport (Ghazni)" and "د غزنی نړیوال هوایی ډګر".
• Because of Ghazni Airport's high elevation of 7,126 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GZI. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GZI a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.