Nonstop flight route between British Columbia, Canada and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from YAL to DSM:
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- About this route
- YAL Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about YAL
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to YAL
- List of Nearest Airports to YAL
- Map of Furthest Airports from YAL
- List of Furthest Airports from YAL
- 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 Alert Bay Airport (YAL), British Columbia, Canada and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,695 miles (or 2,728 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 Alert Bay Airport and Des Moines International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | YAL / CYAL |
Airport Name: | Alert Bay Airport |
Location: | British Columbia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 50°34'55"N by 126°54'56"W |
Operator/Owner: | Corporation of Village of Alert Bay |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 240 feet (73 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from YAL |
More Information: | YAL 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 Alert Bay Airport (YAL):
- The furthest airport from Alert Bay Airport (YAL) is East London Airport (ELS), which is located 10,675 miles (17,179 kilometers) away in East London, South Africa.
- Alert Bay Airport (YAL) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Alert Bay Airport (YAL) is Port McNeill Airport (YMP), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) W of YAL.
- Because of Alert Bay Airport's relatively low elevation of 240 feet, planes can take off or land at Alert Bay 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.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- 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.
- On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.
- The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
- 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 December 1, 2007, a United Express plane carrying 44 passengers slid off a taxiway while taxiing to the runway for takeoff.
- 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.
- 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.