Nonstop flight route between Alor Island, Indonesia and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alor Island Airport (ARD), Alor Island, Indonesia and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,686 miles (or 15,588 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 Alor Island 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 Alor Island 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 Alor Island Airport (ARD):

• Alor Island Airport (ARD) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Alor Island Airport", another name for ARD is "Bandar Udara Mali".
• The closest airport to Alor Island Airport (ARD) is Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL), which is located 70 miles (112 kilometers) ESE of ARD.
• Because of Alor Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 39 feet, planes can take off or land at Alor Island 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 furthest airport from Alor Island Airport (ARD) is Zorg en Hoop Airport (ORG), which is nearly antipodal to Alor Island Airport (meaning Alor Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Zorg en Hoop Airport), and is located 12,276 miles (19,756 kilometers) away in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Base Aérea das LajesBase Aérea Nº 4Aeroporto das Lajes
• 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.
• 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".