Nonstop flight route between Ambler, Alaska, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ambler Airport (ABL), Ambler, Alaska, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,681 miles (or 7,533 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 Ambler Airport and Lajes Air Base, 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 Ambler Airport and Lajes Air Base. 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 Ambler Airport (ABL):

• Because of Ambler Airport's relatively low elevation of 334 feet, planes can take off or land at Ambler 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 Ambler Airport (ABL) is Shungnak Airport (SHG), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) SE of ABL.
• The furthest airport from Ambler Airport (ABL) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,187 miles (16,394 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• In addition to being known as "Ambler Airport", another name for ABL is "AFM".
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 2,357 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, an increase of 0.13% from the 2,354 enplanements in 2007.
• Ambler Airport (ABL) has 2 runways.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Portugal has explored contingencies in the event the United States military eventually abandons Lajes, including the possibility of entering an agreement with the People's Republic of China.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• In addition to being known as "Lajes Air Base", other names for TER include "Base Aérea das Lajes", "Base Aérea Nº 4" and "Aeroporto das Lajes".
• The furthest airport from Lajes Air Base (TER) is Merimbula Airport (MIM), which is nearly antipodal to Lajes Air Base (meaning Lajes Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Merimbula Airport), and is located 12,229 miles (19,680 kilometers) away in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Lajes Air Base's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Lajes Air Base 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.
• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.