Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Malatya, Turkey:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX), Malatya, Turkey would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,187 miles (or 11,567 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 Malatya Erhaç 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 Malatya Erhaç 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• 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 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.
• 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.

Facts about Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX):

• The closest airport to Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) is Adıyaman Airport (ADF), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) SSE of MLX.
• On June 22, 2012, the Turkish Air Force reported that a RF-4E Phantom reconnaissance jet operating from Erhaç went missing over the Mediterranean sea near Syria, with witnesses in the Syrian town of Latakia reporting an aircraft had been shot down by Syrian air defenses.
• Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Malatya Erhaç Airport", another name for MLX is "Malatya Erhaç Havaalanı".
• Erhaç Airport or Malatya Erhaç Airport is a military and small public airport in Malatya, Turkey.
• The furthest airport from Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,298 miles (18,182 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In 2006, Malatya Erhaç Airport served 3,878 aircraft and 406,425 passengers.