Nonstop flight route between Zephyrhills, Florida, United States and Hambantota, Sri Lanka:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida, United States and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,804 miles (or 15,778 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 Zephyrhills Municipal 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 Zephyrhills Municipal 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 Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH):

• The closest airport to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) is Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) SSE of ZPH.
• Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) has 2 runways.
• This airport has a long history of skydiving, possibly the longest continuous history of skydiving at any U.S.
• Opened in January 1942, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces, specifically the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics tactical combat simulation school headquartered at Orlando Army Air Base.
• The furthest airport from Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,456 miles (18,437 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Zephyrhills Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 90 feet, planes can take off or land at Zephyrhills Municipal 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 March 23, 2013, two skydivers of Skydive City, instructor, Orvar Arnarson, 41, and student Andrimar Pordarson, 25 were found dead after parachutes did not deploy.

Facts about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):

• 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.
• Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The second stage of the HIA project expansion works at the airport is to be completed by 2015.
• As announced earlier the airport was opened for flight operations on 18 March 2013.
• It was initially planned to build an international airport serving the south of Sri Lanka at Weerawila, but the plans were scrapped due to environmental concerns.
• In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
• 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.