Nonstop flight route between Macas, Ecuador and Kandahar, Afghanistan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS), Macas, Ecuador and Kabul International Airport (KDH), Kandahar, Afghanistan would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,343 miles (or 15,037 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport and Kabul 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport and Kabul International 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS):

• The closest airport to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) N of XMS.
• The furthest airport from Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Melaka International Airport (MKZ), which is nearly antipodal to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (meaning Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Melaka International Airport), and is located 12,411 miles (19,973 kilometers) away in Batu Berendam, Malaysia.
• In addition to being known as "Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport", another name for XMS is "Aeropuerto "Coronel Edmundo Carvajal"".
• Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Kabul International Airport (KDH):

• In addition to being known as "Kabul International Airport", other names for KDH include "Kandahar International Airport (Kandahar)" and "میدان هوایی بین المللی کندهار".
• Kabul International Airport (KDH) currently has only 1 runway.
• A perimeter was quickly secured around the terminal building and airstrip, and initially all troops worked and lived in and around the main terminal building itself.
• The closest airport to Kabul International Airport (KDH) is Tarin Kowt Airport (TII), which is located 76 miles (123 kilometers) N of KDH.
• The Royal Air Force also has a detachment of C130 K and J model Hercules transport aircraft from 24, 30, 47 and 70 Squadrons and its attached Engineering detachment from 24/30 and 47/70 Engineering Squadrons as part of No.
• Since 2007, the airport is maintained by NATO under the International Security Assistance Force banner, although a prominent base for the US and Canadian Forces, many other Armed Forces are based there.
• The furthest airport from Kabul International Airport (KDH) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to Kabul International Airport (meaning Kabul International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,023 miles (19,349 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Major battles between the Taliban and local anti-Taliban forces had been fought at the airport just days earlier, and when coalition troops arrived there were abandoned weapons - including a BM-21 still loaded with rockets - scattered around the terminal.
• Since the airport was designed as a military base, it is likely that the United States intended to use it in case there was a show-down of war between the United States and former USSR.