Nonstop flight route between Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Cape Town, South Africa:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from YOW to CPT:
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- About this route
- YOW Airport Information
- CPT Airport Information
- Facts about YOW
- Facts about CPT
- Map of Nearest Airports to YOW
- List of Nearest Airports to YOW
- Map of Furthest Airports from YOW
- List of Furthest Airports from YOW
- Map of Nearest Airports to CPT
- List of Nearest Airports to CPT
- Map of Furthest Airports from CPT
- List of Furthest Airports from CPT
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Cape Town International Airport (CPT), Cape Town, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,025 miles (or 12,915 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 Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport and Cape Town 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 Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport and Cape Town 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: | YOW / CYOW |
Airport Name: | Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport |
Location: | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 45°19'20"N by 75°40'1"W |
Area Served: | Ottawa, Ontario |
Operator/Owner: | Transport Canada |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 374 feet (114 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from YOW |
More Information: | YOW Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CPT / FACT |
Airport Name: | Cape Town International Airport |
Location: | Cape Town, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°58'9"S by 18°35'49"E |
Area Served: | Cape Town |
Operator/Owner: | Airports Company South Africa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 151 feet (46 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from CPT |
More Information: | CPT Maps & Info |
Facts about Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW):
- Macdonald–Cartier Airport is part of Canada's busiest air corridor between Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto, which is commonly referred to as the Eastern Triangle.
- The furthest airport from Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,465 miles (18,451 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) is Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport (YRO), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) N of YOW.
- Non-stop and same-plane freighter flights
- In August 1959, a U.S.
- During the 1950s, while the airport was still named Uplands and a joint-use civilian/military field, it was the busiest airport in Canada by takeoffs and landings, reaching a peak of 307,079 aircraft movements in 1959, nearly double its current traffic.
- Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) has 3 runways.
- OC Transpo bus route 97 provides frequent express service to downtown along a dedicated transitway with connections to the O-Train and other bus stations.
- On July 1, 1990, a P-51 Mustang crashed on the Hylands Golf Course during the National Capital Airshow, killing the pilot, Harry Tope.
- Because of Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport's relatively low elevation of 374 feet, planes can take off or land at Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier 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.
Facts about Cape Town International Airport (CPT):
- Cape Town International Airport is approximately 20 kilometres from the city centre and is accessible from the N2 freeway, with Airport Approach Road providing a direct link between the N2 and the airport.
- Because of Cape Town International Airport's relatively low elevation of 151 feet, planes can take off or land at Cape Town 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.
- Cape Town International Airport (CPT) has 2 runways.
- There is no direct rail access to Cape Town International Airport.
- The airport has direct flights from South Africa's other two main urban areas, Johannesburg and Durban, as well as flights to smaller centres in South Africa.
- The furthest airport from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,616 miles (18,693 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is George Airport (GRJ), which is located 217 miles (349 kilometers) E of CPT.
- Cape Town International Airport was opened in 1954, a year after Jan Smuts Airport on the Witwatersrand opened.
- Cape Town International Airport handled 8,505,563 passengers last year.
- Arriving passengers collect luggage in the old sections of their respective terminals, before proceeding through new passageways to the new Central Terminal Building.