Nonstop flight route between Stewart Island, New Zealand and Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), Stewart Island, New Zealand and Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC), Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 11,300 miles (or 18,185 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome and Leipzig–Altenburg 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome and Leipzig–Altenburg 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS):

• The closest airport to Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) is Invercargill Airport (IVC), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NNE of SZS.
• Because of Ryan's Creek Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 288 feet, planes can take off or land at Ryan's Creek Aerodrome 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (meaning Ryan's Creek Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,135 miles (19,529 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
• In the mid-1980s Stewart Island Air Services changed its name to Southern Air Limited with Keith Smith, Joe Cave, Bill Haslett and Sam Nicol as shareholders.
• Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC):

• With the collapse of the Reich the airfield was captured by the US Army in April 1945, being subsequently handed over to the Soviets in July, when the area came under Soviet control following the post-war territorial settlement between the Allies.
• Because of Leipzig–Altenburg Airport's relatively low elevation of 640 feet, planes can take off or land at Leipzig–Altenburg 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.
• Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,789 miles (18,972 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) is Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NNW of AOC.
• In addition to being known as "Leipzig–Altenburg Airport", another name for AOC is "Flughafen Altenburg–Nobitz".
• Leipzig–Altenburg Airport.
• During World War II, the relative remoteness of Altenburg–Nobitz from the main theatres of war made the airfield an obvious location for Luftwaffe flying training in various forms.
• Following the defeat of Germany, the airfield infrastructure was dismantled in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
• As of January 2014 there are no scheduled services to and from Leipzig–Altenburg as Ryanair left in 2011 as the last remaining airline.