Nonstop flight route between Naples, Florida, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Naples Municipal Airport (APF), Naples, Florida, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,255 miles (or 5,239 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 Naples Municipal 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 Naples Municipal 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 Naples Municipal Airport (APF):

• On September 10, 1985, a Douglas DC-3 of Collier County Mosquito Control District crashed at East Naples while on approach to Naples Municipal Airport following an engine failure.
• The closest airport to Naples Municipal Airport (APF) is Marco Island Airport (MRK), which is located only 13 miles (20 kilometers) SSE of APF.
• Because of Naples Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 8 feet, planes can take off or land at Naples 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 June 20, 2005, a Cessna 182 departing Naples Municipal Airport entered an area of severe weather over the Gulf of Mexico.
• Naples Municipal Airport (APF) has 3 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Naples Municipal Airport", another name for APF is "(former Naples Army Airfield)".
• Although the airport served more than 100,000 passengers per year through 2000, geographic factors limited its capacity, and the opening of the much larger Southwest Florida International Airport in nearby Fort Myers drew medium-haul traffic away from Naples.
• The furthest airport from Naples Municipal Airport (APF) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,484 miles (18,482 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• 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".
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.