Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Chişinău, Moldova:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Chișinău International Airport (KIV), Chişinău, Moldova would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,472 miles (or 10,416 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 Chișinău 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 Chișinău 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):

• 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".
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• 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.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• After the war Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria acquired the land and facilities through two grants in 1948.
• 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 extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).

Facts about Chișinău International Airport (KIV):

• The closest airport to Chișinău International Airport (KIV) is Iași International Airport (IAS), which is located 64 miles (103 kilometers) WNW of KIV.
• In addition to being known as "Chișinău International Airport", another name for KIV is "Aeroportul Internațional Chișinău".
• Chișinău International Airport handled 1,321,362 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Chișinău International Airport (KIV) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,191 miles (18,011 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The main terminal was built in the 1970s, with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year.
• Chișinău International Airport (KIV) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2002, following works by the Turkish company Akfen Holding, the airport was modernized.
• There is a currency exchange area located in the front lobby, although the exchange rates are slightly higher than in the city.
• Because of Chișinău International Airport's relatively low elevation of 399 feet, planes can take off or land at Chișinău 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.