Nonstop flight route between Christmas Island, Australia and Sochi, Krasnodar, Russia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Christmas Island Airport (XCH), Christmas Island, Australia and Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER), Sochi, Krasnodar, Russia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,547 miles (or 8,928 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 Christmas Island Airport and Sochi International Airport, Russia, 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 Christmas Island Airport and Sochi International Airport, Russia. 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 Christmas Island Airport (XCH):

• Christmas Island Airport is a quiet airport and served 27,286 revenue passengers during financial year 2010-2011.
• From the late 1940s, when the island was still a British colony administered by Singapore and the Straits Settlements Administration, it was serviced occasionally by Royal Air Force Short Sunderland flying boats before the construction of the airport.
• The airport resides at an elevation of 916 ft above sea level.
• Christmas Island Airport (XCH) currently has only 1 runway.
• Traffic to and from the airport varies greatly.
• Because of Christmas Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 916 feet, planes can take off or land at Christmas Island 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 closest airport to Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Cibeureum Airfield (TSY), which is located 276 miles (445 kilometers) NE of XCH.
• The furthest airport from Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), which is nearly antipodal to Christmas Island Airport (meaning Christmas Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport), and is located 12,393 miles (19,944 kilometers) away in Barranquilla, Colombia.
• A brief revival of the "old days" happened in 2001 during the "Tampa" crisis when the heightened Royal Australian Air Force traffic was complemented by a large number of Department of Immigration and Citizenship and media charters.
• Christmas Island Airport handled 27,286 passengers last year.

Facts about Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER):

• Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER) has 2 runways.
• Because of Sochi International Airport, Russia's relatively low elevation of 89 feet, planes can take off or land at Sochi International Airport, Russia 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sochi International Airport, Russia", another name for AER is "Международный Аэропорт Сочи".
• The furthest airport from Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 10,999 miles (17,701 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Sochi International Airport has two artificial runways.
• The closest airport to Sochi International Airport, Russia (AER) is Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) SE of AER.
• The airport authority plans to extend the runway up to 3.5 km, with a portion overlapping the Mzymta River at a width of 300 m.
• The capacity of the airport complex is 750 passengers per hour/ 2500 passengers per day.
• Passenger traffic went from 902,000 embarkations in 1965 to more than 2.3 million in 1990.