Nonstop flight route between Tripoli, Libya and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tripoli International Airport (TIP), Tripoli, Libya and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,541 miles (or 2,481 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 relatively short distance between Tripoli International Airport and MoD St Athan, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Tripoli International Airport (TIP):

• The closest airport to Tripoli International Airport (TIP) is Mitiga International Airport (MJI), which is located only 18 miles (28 kilometers) NNE of TIP.
• In addition to being known as "Tripoli International Airport", another name for TIP is "مطار طرابلس العالمي".
• During World War II, the airfield was used by the British Royal Air Force and was named RAF Castel Benito later changing to RAF Idris in 1952.
• Tripoli International Airport is an international airport that serves Tripoli, Libya.
• Because of Tripoli International Airport's relatively low elevation of 263 feet, planes can take off or land at Tripoli 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 Tripoli International Airport (TIP) is Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), which is located 11,534 miles (18,563 kilometers) away in Avarua, Cook Islands.
• The airport has one main passenger terminal that serves international and domestic departures and arrivals.
• Tripoli International Airport (TIP) has 2 runways.
• Tripoli International Airport handled 3,070,200 passengers last year.
• Anti-Gaddafi forces captured the airport during their advance on Tripoli on 21 August 2011.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• On 26 August 1993 an ATC civilian instructor was seriously injured and the RAF Volunteer Reserve pilot, Group Captain Roger Sweatman, was killed when their Chipmunk trainer, on an air experience flight, crashed after encountering difficulties during a simulated emergency low-height manoeuvre on take-off.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• The two cadet passengers were cousins and were named as Katie Jo Davies, 15, and Nikitta Walters, 14.
• In March 2004, however, DARA announced the loss of 550 jobs at St Athan as part of streamlining to make DARA more efficient and better able to compete with the private sector for lucrative aircraft repair contracts, but also because they lost out to a direct RAF bid for a contract to upgrade the air force's fleet of ageing Harrier jump jet aircraft.
• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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 MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.
• The furthest airport from MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• St Athan also became the major RAF maintenance base for Vulcan, Victor, Buccaner, Phantom, Harrier, Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and VC10 aircraft, originally under direct RAF control, but latterly under the auspices of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.
• During the war a dummy airfield was built using wood and cardboard a few miles west of the original airfield and successful efforts were made to hide the proper field.