Nonstop flight route between Ovda, Israel and Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ovda Airport (VDA), Ovda, Israel and Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,391 miles (or 5,457 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 Ovda Airport and Svalbard Airport, Longyear, 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 Ovda Airport and Svalbard Airport, Longyear. 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 Ovda Airport (VDA):

• Ovda was originally built as a military airport in 1980 following Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty because the Israeli Air Force needed alternative airfields to its Sinai bases.
• On January 1, 2009, the airport was closed to landing traffic during nighttime until further notice by the Ministry of Transport, due to the deteriorating condition of its runway.
• Ovda Airport started out as an airbase for the Israeli Air Force, constructed by the United States as a replacement for Etzion Air Force Base.
• The furthest airport from Ovda Airport (VDA) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,788 miles (18,970 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• Ovda Airport handled 136,791 passengers last year.
• Ovda Airport is a military and civilian airport in Israel, located in the south of the country, about 60 km north of the city of Eilat.
• Ovda Airport (VDA) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Ovda Airport", another name for VDA is "נְמַל הַתְּעוּפָה עוֹבְדָה".
• The closest airport to Ovda Airport (VDA) is Yotvata Airfield (YOT), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of VDA.

Facts about Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR):

• Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lufttransport has been at the airport since 1976.
• Because of Svalbard Airport, Longyear's relatively low elevation of 94 feet, planes can take off or land at Svalbard Airport, Longyear 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 Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,170 miles (16,367 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• The first air strip on Svalbard was constructed in Adventdalen, near Longyearbyen, by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
• In addition to being known as "Svalbard Airport, Longyear", another name for LYR is "Svalbard lufthavn, Longyear".
• The airport is located 1.6 nautical miles northwest of Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on Svalbard.
• The closest airport to Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR) is Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG), which is located 534 miles (859 kilometers) SSE of LYR.
• While the Catalina was suitable for postal flights, it was not suitable for a permanent solution for transporting passengers and freight, mainly due to its small size.
• Svalbard Airport, Longyear handled 126,350 passengers last year.