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

Arrival Airport:

Distance from YOW to QRA:
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- About this route
- YOW Airport Information
- QRA Airport Information
- Facts about YOW
- Facts about QRA
- 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 QRA
- List of Nearest Airports to QRA
- Map of Furthest Airports from QRA
- List of Furthest Airports from QRA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Rand Airport (QRA), Johannesburg, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,133 miles (or 13,089 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 Rand 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 Rand 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: | QRA / FAGM |
Airport Name: | Rand Airport |
Location: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 26°14'32"S by 28°9'3"E |
Operator/Owner: | Rand Airport Management Company (Pty) Ltd. |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5482 feet (1,671 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from QRA |
More Information: | QRA Maps & Info |
Facts about Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW):
- At the turn of the millennium, the Ottawa Airport Authority announced plans to build a second, adjacent terminal to meet the demands of increased traffic.
- The north field is still popular for general aviation, although only one of its runways, 04/22, is still in use.
- On June 13, 1997, a North American Airlines Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner struck the runway with gear retracted during a botched approach, resulting in propellor strikes and a fire in one engine when it came to rest on runway 25.
- Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) has 3 runways.
- 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.
- The airport actually consists of two distinct airfields connected by a taxiway.
- The airport was originally opened at Uplands on a high plateau south of Ottawa by the Ottawa Flying Club, which still operates from the field.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Rand Airport (QRA):
- The furthest airport from Rand Airport (QRA) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,977 miles (19,275 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- SAA moved its headquarters to Palmietfontein Airport in 1948 because of runway length constraints.
- Rand Airport (QRA) has 2 runways.
- Boeing 747SP at the South African Airways Museum Society situated near the threshold of Runway 29.
- Because of Rand Airport's high elevation of 5,482 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at QRA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make QRA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Rand Airport (QRA) is O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) NE of QRA.
- Rand Airport is a popular location for filmmaking for both the local and international film industries.