Nonstop flight route between Sofia, Bulgaria and Phalaborwa, South Africa:
Departure Airport:
(42°41'42"N by 23°24'29"E)
Arrival Airport:
(23°56'12"S by 31°9'18"E)
Distance from SOF to PHW:
4,630.21 miles (7,451.58 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- SOF Airport Information
- PHW Airport Information
- Facts about SOF
- Facts about PHW
- Map of Nearest Airports to SOF
- List of Nearest Airports to SOF
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOF
- List of Furthest Airports from SOF
- Map of Nearest Airports to PHW
- List of Nearest Airports to PHW
- Map of Furthest Airports from PHW
- List of Furthest Airports from PHW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF), Sofia, Bulgaria and Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW), Phalaborwa, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,630 miles (or 7,452 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna and Hendrik Van Eck 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna and Hendrik Van Eck Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SOF / LBSF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| GPS Coordinates: | 42°41'42"N by 23°24'29"E |
| Area Served: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Operator/Owner: | Sofia Airport EAD |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1742 feet (531 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SOF |
| More Information: | SOF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PHW / FAPH |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Phalaborwa, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 23°56'12"S by 31°9'18"E |
| Area Served: | Phalaborwa, South Africa |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1432 feet (436 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PHW |
| More Information: | PHW Maps & Info |
Facts about Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF):
- The furthest airport from Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,437 miles (18,405 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- The new Sofia tower will be situated to the west of Terminal 2 and will be complementing the terminal building in architectural terms.
- The closest airport to Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Plovdiv Airport (PDV), which is located 86 miles (138 kilometers) ESE of SOF.
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) currently has only 1 runway.
- On 31 August 2006, Sofia Airport put its new runway system into operation, replacing the old and out-of-date facilities.
- A lot of consideration has been given to the design of the layout, the functional definition of the working positions, the operations room surface area for ANS provision and meteorological observation, as well as to the requirements for visibility to the runway and the approaches and access to an open observation platform.
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna handled 350,432 passengers last year.
- In addition to being known as "Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna", other names for SOF include "Vrazhdebna Airport" and "Летище София".
- A significant and recurring operational criticism of Sofia Airport has concerned its historical lack of all-weather operations capability.
Facts about Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW):
- In addition to being known as "Hendrik Van Eck Airport", another name for PHW is "Phalaborwa Airport".
- Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,944 miles (19,222 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) is Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) SSW of PHW.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 86.04 miles (138.47 km) ESE | Plovdiv Airport (PDV) | Plovdiv, Bulgaria |     |
| 2 | 90.21 miles (145.17 km) WNW | Niš Constantine the Great International Airport (INI) | Niš, Serbia | |
| 3 | 104.17 miles (167.64 km) WSW | Skopje Airport (SKP) | Skopje, Macedonia | |
| 4 | 114.70 miles (184.58 km) NNE | Craiova International Airport (CRA) | Craiova, Romania | |
| 5 | 116.49 miles (187.47 km) E | Stara Zagora Airport (SZR) | Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | |
| 6 | 120.78 miles (194.38 km) ENE | Gorna Oryahovitsa Airport (GOZ) | Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria | |
| 7 | 120.89 miles (194.55 km) W | Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari" (PRN) | Pristina, Kosovo | |
| 8 | 121.98 miles (196.31 km) ESE | Haskovo Malevo Airport (HKV) | Haskovo, Bulgaria | |
| 9 | 137.99 miles (222.08 km) SSE | Kavala International Airport "Alexander The Great" (KVA) | Kavala, Greece | |
| 10 | 150.23 miles (241.78 km) ENE | Ruse Airport (ROU) | Rousse, Bulgaria | |
| 11 | 150.69 miles (242.52 km) E | Bezmer Air Base (JAM) | Yambol (Jambol), Bulgaria | |
| 12 | 151.99 miles (244.60 km) S | Thessaloniki International Airport "Makedonia" (SKG) | Thessaloniki, Greece | |
| 13 | 172.42 miles (277.48 km) SW | Ohrid Airport (OHD) | Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia | |
| 14 | 180.14 miles (289.91 km) W | Dolac Airport (IVG) | Berane, Montenegro | |
| 15 | 182.69 miles (294.02 km) SE | Alexandroupolis International Airport (AXD) | Alexandroupolis, Greece | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,436.55 miles (18,405.29 km) E | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,080.97 miles (17,833.04 km) E | Gisborne Airport (GIS) | Gisborne, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,042.80 miles (17,771.62 km) E | Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE) | Napier, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,008.76 miles (17,716.84 km) E | Whakatane Airport (WHK) | Whakatane, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,008.49 miles (17,716.41 km) E | Hood Aerodrome (MRO) | Masterton, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,004.83 miles (17,710.51 km) SSW | Rurutu Airport (RUR) | Rurutu, French Polynesia | |
| 7 | 10,997.71 miles (17,699.06 km) S | Mangaia Island Airport (MGS) | Mangaia Island, Cook Islands | |
| 8 | 10,996.07 miles (17,696.41 km) E | Palmerston North Airport (PMR) | Palmerston North, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 10,986.67 miles (17,681.28 km) E | Taupo AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Taupō (TUO) | Taupo, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 10,983.29 miles (17,675.84 km) E | Rotorua International Airport (ROT) | Rotorua, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 10,974.71 miles (17,662.04 km) E | Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) | Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 10,972.38 miles (17,658.28 km) E | Wellington International Airport (WLG) | Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 10,966.07 miles (17,648.14 km) E | Tauranga Airport (TRG) | Tauranga, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 10,959.16 miles (17,637.01 km) E | Wanganui Airport (WAG) | Wanganui, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 10,944.51 miles (17,613.43 km) E | Matamata Airport (MTA) | Matamata, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 29.63 miles (47.68 km) SSW | Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) | Hoedspruit, South Africa | |
| 2 | 65.65 miles (105.65 km) SSE | Mala Mala Airport (AAM) | Mala Mala, South Africa | |
| 3 | 100.00 miles (160.94 km) S | Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) | Nelspruit, South Africa | |
| 4 | 107.35 miles (172.77 km) W | Polokwane International Airport (PTG) | Polokwane, South Africa | |
| 5 | 163.34 miles (262.87 km) SSE | Maputo International Airport (MPM) | Maputo, Mozambique | |
| 6 | 179.36 miles (288.65 km) S | Matsapha Airport (MTS) | Manzini, Swaziland | |
| 7 | 204.15 miles (328.54 km) N | Buffalo Range Airport (BFO) | Chiredzi, Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | 218.77 miles (352.08 km) WSW | Wonderboom Airport (PRY) | Pretoria, South Africa | |
| 9 | 236.04 miles (379.87 km) SW | Grand Central Airport (GCJ) | Johannesburg, South Africa | |
| 10 | 237.30 miles (381.89 km) SW | O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | |
| 11 | 245.04 miles (394.36 km) SW | Lanseria International Airport (HLA) | Lanseria, South Africa | |
| 12 | 246.38 miles (396.51 km) SW | Rand Airport (QRA) | Johannesburg, South Africa | |
| 13 | 247.78 miles (398.76 km) SW | Heidelberg Airport (HDB) | Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 14 | 268.03 miles (431.35 km) WSW | Pilanesberg International Airport (NTY) | Pilanesberg, South Africa | |
| 15 | 268.70 miles (432.43 km) E | Inhambane Airport (INH) | Inhambane, Mozambique | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,943.80 miles (19,221.63 km) NE | Hilo International Airport (ITO) | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 11,930.01 miles (19,199.44 km) ENE | Hana Airport (HNM) | Hana, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 11,922.09 miles (19,186.69 km) ENE | Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) | Kamuela, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 11,921.16 miles (19,185.21 km) ENE | Upolu Airport (UPP) | Hawi, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 11,913.28 miles (19,172.52 km) ENE | Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF) | Camp Pohakuloa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 11,908.90 miles (19,165.47 km) ENE | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 11,896.48 miles (19,145.47 km) ENE | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 11,891.63 miles (19,137.67 km) ENE | Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) | Kailua / Kona, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 11,885.19 miles (19,127.31 km) ENE | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 11,876.35 miles (19,113.09 km) ENE | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 11,875.07 miles (19,111.02 km) ENE | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 11,830.44 miles (19,039.20 km) ENE | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 11,830.44 miles (19,039.20 km) ENE | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 11,826.92 miles (19,033.54 km) ENE | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 11,821.19 miles (19,024.31 km) ENE | Kalaeloa Airport (NAX) | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | |