Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Shiraz, Iran:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Shiraz International Airport (SYZ), Shiraz, Iran would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,962 miles (or 12,813 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 Shiraz 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 Shiraz 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".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Shiraz International Airport (SYZ):

• The furthest airport from Shiraz International Airport (SYZ) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,794 miles (18,981 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Shiraz International Airport", another name for SYZ is "Shahid Dastghaib International Airport Tadayon Air Base".
• Because of Shiraz International Airport's high elevation of 4,920 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SYZ. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SYZ a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Shiraz International Airport (SYZ) has 2 runways.
• Shiraz International Airport serves as the largest airport in the southern region of Iran.
• The closest airport to Shiraz International Airport (SYZ) is Bushehr Airport (BUZ), which is located 114 miles (183 kilometers) WSW of SYZ.