Nonstop flight route between Soldotna, Alaska, United States and Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Soldotna Airport (SXQ), Soldotna, Alaska, United States and King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,302 miles (or 16,580 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 Soldotna Airport and King Shaka International, 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 Soldotna Airport and King Shaka International. 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 Soldotna Airport (SXQ):

• The closest airport to Soldotna Airport (SXQ) is Kenai Municipal Airport (ENA), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) NW of SXQ.
• Soldotna Airport (SXQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• On February 4, 1985, North Pacific Airlines Flight 1802, a Beechcraft BE65-A-80 Queen Air N50NP, on a regularly scheduled flight from Anchorage to Soldotna, crashed 1.5 miles southwest of the airport while on approach to land.
• The airport covers an area of 426 acres at an elevation of 113 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of Soldotna Airport's relatively low elevation of 113 feet, planes can take off or land at Soldotna 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 Soldotna Airport (SXQ) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,600 miles (17,059 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Facts about King Shaka International (DUR):

• The project was revived in the late 1990s when the limitations of Durban International Airport became apparent.
• Despite wide expectations that the airport would be named "King Shaka International Airport", it emerged in October 2009 that the airport needed to undergo a formal naming process.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• As a result, a study into the risks of bird strikes at KSIA was commissioned, with special attention being paid to the Barn Swallows at Mount Moreland.
• The terminal does not have a public viewing deck, which has attracted public criticism.
• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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 King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• The final obstacle was a delay in the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.