Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Plaisance, Mauritius:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), Plaisance, Mauritius would travel a Great Circle distance of 11,431 miles (or 18,396 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 Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam 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 Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam 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):

• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• 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).
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• 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.
• Santa Maria Public Airport is three miles south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California.
• 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.
• 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 Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU):

• A new passenger terminal was inaugurated on 30 August 2013, and became fully operational in September 2013.
• Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport handled 269,086 passengers last year.
• The first flight to Rodrigues island was made on 10 September 1972, an Air Mauritius flight from Plaisance airport to the Plaine Corail Airport at Rodrigues.
• The closest airport to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) is Roland Garros Airport (RUN), which is located 144 miles (231 kilometers) WSW of MRU.
• The furthest airport from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) is Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB), which is located 11,697 miles (18,824 kilometers) away in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
• Because of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport's relatively low elevation of 186 feet, planes can take off or land at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam 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.
• In 1942, when Mauritius was a Crown colony, the government decided to build a small airport at Plaine Magnien near Mahébourg.
• In addition to being known as "Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport", another name for MRU is "Plaisance Airport".
• Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) currently has only 1 runway.