Nonstop flight route between Seward, Alaska, United States and Johannesburg, South Africa:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SWD to QRA:
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- About this route
- SWD Airport Information
- QRA Airport Information
- Facts about SWD
- Facts about QRA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SWD
- List of Nearest Airports to SWD
- Map of Furthest Airports from SWD
- List of Furthest Airports from SWD
- Map of Nearest Airports to QRA
- List of Nearest Airports to QRA
- Map of Furthest Airports from QRA
- List of Furthest Airports from QRA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Seward Airport (SWD), Seward, Alaska, United States and Rand Airport (QRA), Johannesburg, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,093 miles (or 16,243 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 Seward Airport and Rand 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 Seward Airport and Rand Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SWD / PAWD |
Airport Name: | Seward Airport |
Location: | Seward, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 60°7'36"N by 149°25'8"W |
Area Served: | Seward, Alaska |
Operator/Owner: | Alaska DOT&PF - Central Region |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 22 feet (7 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SWD |
More Information: | SWD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | QRA / FAGM |
Airport Name: | Rand Airport |
Location: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 26°14'32"S by 28°9'3"E |
Operator/Owner: | Rand Airport Management Company (Pty) Ltd. |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5482 feet (1,671 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from QRA |
More Information: | QRA Maps & Info |
Facts about Seward Airport (SWD):
- Because of Seward Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Seward 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 closest airport to Seward Airport (SWD) is Chenega Bay Airport (NCN), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) E of SWD.
- Seward Airport (SWD) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Seward Airport (SWD) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,617 miles (17,086 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Facts about Rand Airport (QRA):
- Rand Airport (QRA) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Rand Airport (QRA) is O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) NE of QRA.
- SAA moved its headquarters to Palmietfontein Airport in 1948 because of runway length constraints.
- The furthest airport from Rand Airport (QRA) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,977 miles (19,275 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- Today, the airport hosts air charter operators, flying schools and a number of aircraft maintenance organizations, as well as pilot shops, car hire and other aviation-related enterprises.
- Boeing 747SP at the South African Airways Museum Society situated near the threshold of Runway 29.
- Because of Rand Airport's high elevation of 5,482 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at QRA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make QRA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The foyer in the terminal building.
- de Havilland DH 104 Dove and Lockheed L18-08 Lodestar on view at the South African Airways Museum Society at Rand Airport.