Nonstop flight route between Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada and Hambantota, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY), Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,099 miles (or 13,034 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 Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport and Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY):

• The closest airport to Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Port Hawkesbury Airport (YPS), which is located 72 miles (117 kilometers) WSW of YQY.
• The furthest airport from Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport's relatively low elevation of 203 feet, planes can take off or land at Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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.
• On 27 July 2009 Sydney Airport was renamed after John Alexander Douglas McCurdy, who was a Canadian aviation pioneer who first flew the Silver Dart, holder of Canada's first pilot's license and a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952.
• Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) has 2 runways.

Facts about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):

• Phase one began on 27 November 2009 at Mattala.
• Because of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Mattala Rajapaksa 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 closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
• The furthest airport from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,719 miles (18,860 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
• The second stage of the HIA project expansion works at the airport is to be completed by 2015.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport is designed to facilitate for over 800 foreign passengers at peak hours and several local passengers per every 1000 km² in side the buildings.
• Domestic carriers Helitours and Cinnamon Air offer charter flights that connect the airport with Ratmalana Airport and Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.