Nonstop flight route between Saipan Island, Northern Mariana Islands and Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:
(15°7'8"N by 145°43'45"E)
Arrival Airport:
(51°23'48"N by 3°20'35"W)
Distance from SPN to CWL:
7,478.09 miles (12,034.79 km)
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- About this route
- SPN Airport Information
- CWL Airport Information
- Facts about SPN
- Facts about CWL
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPN
- List of Nearest Airports to SPN
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPN
- List of Furthest Airports from SPN
- Map of Nearest Airports to CWL
- List of Nearest Airports to CWL
- Map of Furthest Airports from CWL
- List of Furthest Airports from CWL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Saipan International Airport (SPN), Saipan Island, Northern Mariana Islands and Cardiff Airport (CWL), Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,478 miles (or 12,035 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 Saipan International Airport and Cardiff 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 Saipan International Airport and Cardiff Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPN / PGSN |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Saipan Island, Northern Mariana Islands |
| GPS Coordinates: | 15°7'8"N by 145°43'45"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Commonwealth Ports Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 215 feet (66 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPN |
| More Information: | SPN Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | CWL / EGFF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°23'48"N by 3°20'35"W |
| Area Served: | Cardiff South Wales Mid Wales West Wales |
| Operator/Owner: | Welsh Government |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 220 feet (67 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from CWL |
| More Information: | CWL Maps & Info |
Facts about Saipan International Airport (SPN):
- The IJNAS assigned two squadrons of Mitsubishi A6M5a-52 Zeros to the airfield in mid-June 1944.
- Saipan International Airport commenced operation on 25 July 1976 taking over from the nearby Kobler Field.Continental Micronesia initially had its main hub at Kobler Field and then Saipan Airport.
- In addition to being known as "Saipan International Airport", other names for SPN include "Francisco C. Ada Airport" and "GSN".
- The closest airport to Saipan International Airport (SPN) is Tinian International Airport (TIQ), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SW of SPN.
- Saipan International Airport (SPN) currently has only 1 runway.
- Japanese tourists began visiting Saipan in large numbers during the 1970s.
- Because of Saipan International Airport's relatively low elevation of 215 feet, planes can take off or land at Saipan 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.
- The furthest airport from Saipan International Airport (SPN) is Salvador-Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (2 de Julho) (SSA), which is nearly antipodal to Saipan International Airport (meaning Saipan International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Salvador-Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (2 de Julho)), and is located 12,125 miles (19,514 kilometers) away in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Facts about Cardiff Airport (CWL):
- The furthest airport from Cardiff Airport (CWL) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,958 miles (19,244 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- Because of Cardiff Airport's relatively low elevation of 220 feet, planes can take off or land at Cardiff 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.
- 1986 saw a further extension of 750 ft to the runway, costing in the region of £1 million, thus attracting more business to the airport in the form of new-generation jet aircraft.
- The history of the airport extends back to the early 1940s, when the Air Ministry requisitioned land in the rural Vale of Glamorgan to set up a wartime satellite aerodrome and training base, named RAF Rhoose, for Royal Air Force Spitfire pilots.
- Cardiff Airport (CWL) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Cardiff Airport (CWL) is MoD St Athan (DGX), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) W of CWL.
- In addition to being known as "Cardiff Airport", another name for CWL is "Maes Awyr Caerdydd".
- In 2012, the airport ran into a barrage of sustained criticism from the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones.
- Cardiff Airport handled 1,072,062 passengers last year.
- However, it emerged that the Airport had applied for £5 million of payments from the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with unspecified development at the terminal.
- Also in 1952 Aer Lingus started a service to Dublin.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11.06 miles (17.80 km) SW | Tinian International Airport (TIQ) | Tinian Island, Northern Mariana Islands |     |
| 2 | 72.92 miles (117.36 km) SSW | Rota International Airport (ROP) | Rota Island, Northern Mariana Islands | |
| 3 | 119.13 miles (191.72 km) SSW | Andersen Air Force Base (UAM) | Agana, Guam | |
| 4 | 129.06 miles (207.70 km) SSW | Guam International Airport (GUM) | Hagåtña, Guam | |
| 5 | 533.30 miles (858.26 km) SW | Falalop Airfield (ULI) | Falalop Island, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | |
| 6 | 645.75 miles (1,039.22 km) SW | Yap International Airport (YAP) | Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | |
| 7 | 671.70 miles (1,081.00 km) SE | Chuuk International Airport (TKK) | Weno, Federated States of Micronesia | |
| 8 | 726.36 miles (1,168.96 km) NNW | Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO) | Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan | |
| 9 | 829.80 miles (1,335.42 km) NE | Minamitorishima Air Field (MUS) | Minami-Tori-shima, Japan | |
| 10 | 927.56 miles (1,492.75 km) SW | Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR) | Koror, Palau | |
| 11 | 1,015.16 miles (1,633.73 km) ESE | Pohnpei International Airport (PNI) | Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia | |
| 12 | 1,146.10 miles (1,844.46 km) E | Enewetak Auxiliary Airfield (ENT) | Enewetak, Marshall Islands | |
| 13 | 1,192.41 miles (1,919.00 km) NW | Minami-Daito Airport (MMD) | Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan | |
| 14 | 1,192.72 miles (1,919.50 km) S | Momote Airport (MAS) | Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea | |
| 15 | 1,193.19 miles (1,920.24 km) NW | Kitadaito Airport (KTD) | Kitadaito, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,125.20 miles (19,513.57 km) ESE | Salvador-Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (2 de Julho) (SSA) | Salvador, Bahia, Brazil | |
| 2 | 12,118.20 miles (19,502.30 km) E | Ilhéus/Bahia-Jorge Amado Airport (IOS) | Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil | |
| 3 | 12,104.44 miles (19,480.16 km) ESE | Porto Seguro Airport (BPS) | Porto Seguro, Brazil | |
| 4 | 12,094.54 miles (19,464.23 km) SE | Aracaju–Santa Maria Airport (AJU) | Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil | |
| 5 | 12,036.52 miles (19,370.86 km) SSE | Maceió/Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport (MCZ) | Maceió, Brazil | |
| 6 | 11,996.47 miles (19,306.39 km) E | Pedro Otacílio Figueiredo Airport (VDC) | Vitória da Conquista, Brazil | |
| 7 | 11,951.65 miles (19,234.27 km) S | Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) | Recife, Brazil | |
| 8 | 11,932.95 miles (19,204.17 km) ESE | Coronel Horácio de Mattos Airport (LEC) | Lençõis, Bahia, Brazil | |
| 9 | 11,905.05 miles (19,159.28 km) SE | Vitória-Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport (Goiabeiras) (VIX) | Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil | |
| 10 | 11,884.00 miles (19,125.40 km) S | Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) | João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 11 | 11,883.39 miles (19,124.42 km) SSE | Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV) | Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 12 | 11,866.48 miles (19,097.20 km) E | Guanambi Airport (GNM) | Guanambi, Bahia, Brazil | |
| 13 | 11,864.21 miles (19,093.54 km) ESE | Coronel Altino Machado de Oliveira Airport (GVR) | Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 14 | 11,853.53 miles (19,076.36 km) SE | Petrolina–Senador Nilo Coelho Airport (PNZ) | Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil | |
| 15 | 11,834.75 miles (19,046.13 km) SE | Raimundo de Andrade Airport (CDI) | Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 4.03 miles (6.48 km) W | MoD St Athan (DGX) | St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom | |
| 2 | 26.93 miles (43.34 km) E | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 33.37 miles (53.71 km) ENE | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 34.33 miles (55.25 km) WNW | Swansea Airport (SWS) | Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 45.86 miles (73.80 km) S | Exeter International Airport (EXT) | Exeter, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 58.61 miles (94.32 km) E | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 69.61 miles (112.02 km) ENE | RAF Fairford (FFD) | Fairford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 75.04 miles (120.77 km) SSW | Plymouth City Airport (PLH) | Plymouth, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 75.67 miles (121.78 km) WNW | Haverfordwest Aerodrome (HAW) | Haverfordwest, Wales, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 77.83 miles (125.26 km) ESE | Bournemouth Airport (BOH) | Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 79.41 miles (127.80 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 91.42 miles (147.12 km) ESE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 91.98 miles (148.02 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 97.66 miles (157.17 km) SW | Newquay Cornwall Airport (NQY) | Newquay, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 97.84 miles (157.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,957.99 miles (19,244.47 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,941.33 miles (19,217.67 km) SE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,925.31 miles (19,191.89 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,924.18 miles (19,190.06 km) SSE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,894.52 miles (19,142.33 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,886.11 miles (19,128.80 km) SSE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,872.11 miles (19,106.26 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,865.67 miles (19,095.90 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,863.17 miles (19,091.87 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,857.70 miles (19,083.07 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,837.23 miles (19,050.13 km) SSE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,828.86 miles (19,036.66 km) SSE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,822.85 miles (19,026.99 km) SW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,822.35 miles (19,026.18 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,807.49 miles (19,002.27 km) SSE | Fox Glacier Aerodrome (FGL) | Fox Glacier, New Zealand | |