Nonstop flight route between Windhoek, Namibia and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from WDH to DSM:
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- About this route
- WDH Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about WDH
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to WDH
- List of Nearest Airports to WDH
- Map of Furthest Airports from WDH
- List of Furthest Airports from WDH
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH), Windhoek, Namibia and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,304 miles (or 13,365 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 Hosea Kutako International Airport and Des Moines International 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 Hosea Kutako International Airport and Des Moines International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | WDH / FYWH |
Airport Name: | Hosea Kutako International Airport |
Location: | Windhoek, Namibia |
GPS Coordinates: | 22°29'12"S by 17°27'44"E |
Operator/Owner: | Namibian Civil Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5640 feet (1,719 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from WDH |
More Information: | WDH Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH):
- Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport underwent a modernising makeover in 2009.
- Because of Hosea Kutako International Airport's high elevation of 5,640 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at WDH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make WDH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is Eros Airport (ERS), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) WSW of WDH.
- Although Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main international airport of Namibia, the only direct international flights are to Angola, Botswana, Germany, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- Few, if any, domestic flights pass through Hosea Kutako Airport as those are predominantly handled at the smaller Windhoek Eros Airport.
- The furthest airport from Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is PMRF Barking Sands (BKH), which is nearly antipodal to Hosea Kutako International Airport (meaning Hosea Kutako International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from PMRF Barking Sands), and is located 12,258 miles (19,727 kilometers) away in Kekaha, Hawaii, United States.
- Hosea Kutako International Airport handled 681,317 passengers last year.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- This airport is in in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.
- The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
- On March 13, 2008, an Atlanta-bound ASA flight was delayed more than five hours when a mouse was discovered shortly before take-off from DSM.
- Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
- As of March 2014, Delta Air Lines handled of DSM passengers, followed by United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.
- During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
- Des Moines International Airport is a civil-military public airport three miles southwest of Des Moines, in Polk County, Iowa.
- On December 1, 2007, a United Express plane carrying 44 passengers slid off a taxiway while taxiing to the runway for takeoff.
- The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- In addition to work inside the passenger terminal, the airport is building a rental car facility and new parking facilities.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.