📍 Point 1 (Origin)

📍 Point 2 (Destination)

Step 1: Calculate intermediate value

a = sin²(Δφ/2) + cos(φ₁) × cos(φ₂) × sin²(Δλ/2)

Step 2: Calculate angular distance

c = 2 × atan2(√a, √(1−a))

Step 3: Calculate distance

d = R × c

Route	Approx. Distance	Type
New York to London	2,990 nm	Transatlantic
Los Angeles to Tokyo	4,670 nm	Transpacific
Singapore to Dubai	2,895 nm	Asia-Middle East
Sydney to Auckland	1,160 nm	Tasman Sea

How do you calculate nautical miles between two points?

To calculate nautical miles between two points, use the Haversine formula with their latitude and longitude coordinates. The formula calculates the great circle distance: a = sin²(Δφ/2) + cos(φ1) × cos(φ2) × sin²(Δλ/2), then c = 2 × atan2(√a, √(1−a)), and distance = R × c, where R is Earth's radius in nautical miles (3,440.065 nm). This gives the shortest distance over Earth's curved surface.

What is a nautical mile?

A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used in maritime and air navigation, equal to exactly 1,852 meters or approximately 6,076 feet. One nautical mile corresponds to one minute of latitude (1/60 of a degree). It is longer than a statute mile (1.15 statute miles = 1 nautical mile). The nautical mile is the international standard for ocean and air distances because it relates directly to Earth's coordinates.

How to calculate distance between airports in nautical miles?

To calculate distance between airports in nautical miles: 1) Get the latitude and longitude coordinates of both airports (available from aviation databases), 2) Apply the Haversine formula to calculate great circle distance, 3) Convert the result to nautical miles by dividing kilometers by 1.852 or using Earth's radius in nautical miles (3,440.065 nm) directly in the formula. This gives you the air distance, not accounting for actual flight paths.

What is the difference between nautical miles and regular miles?

A nautical mile (1,852 meters) is longer than a statute mile (1,609.344 meters). 1 nautical mile = 1.15078 statute miles. Nautical miles are used for maritime and air navigation because they relate directly to latitude and longitude on Earth's surface (1 nautical mile = 1 minute of latitude), making navigation calculations easier. Statute miles are used for land distances in the US and some other countries.

How accurate is the Haversine formula for nautical miles?

The Haversine formula is very accurate for calculating nautical miles between two points on Earth, with typical errors less than 0.5%. It assumes Earth is a perfect sphere (mean radius 6,371 km), which introduces minor inaccuracies since Earth is slightly ellipsoidal (oblate spheroid). For most navigation purposes including maritime routes and flight planning, the Haversine formula provides sufficient accuracy. More precise calculations use ellipsoidal models like Vincenty's formulae.