Nonstop flight route between Bilbao, Spain and Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bilbao Airport (BIO), Bilbao, Spain and Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,265 miles (or 6,864 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 Bilbao Airport and Chattanooga Metropolitan 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 Bilbao Airport and Chattanooga Metropolitan 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 Bilbao Airport (BIO):

• There has been some criticism of Santiago Calatrava's design by Aena, the Spanish airport authority, because it seems difficult to make further enlargements in the terminal's capacity because the design is too closed.
• The airport has seen a constant increase in its traffic numbers, the old terminal was already saturated and obsolete in 1990, although it had been renewed only a few years earlier.
• The closest airport to Bilbao Airport (BIO) is Vitoria-Gasteiz Airport (VIT), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) SSE of BIO.
• Between 1964 and 1965, an instrumental ILS landing system and a meteorological radio for storm detection were installed.
• The furthest airport from Bilbao Airport (BIO) is Hood Aerodrome (MRO), which is nearly antipodal to Bilbao Airport (meaning Bilbao Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hood Aerodrome), and is located 12,260 miles (19,730 kilometers) away in Masterton, New Zealand.
• Because of Bilbao Airport's relatively low elevation of 137 feet, planes can take off or land at Bilbao 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.
• In addition to being known as "Bilbao Airport", another name for BIO is "Bilboko aireportua (eu) Aeropuerto de Bilbao (es)".
• The construction works commenced during the Civil War but during this time and until June 1937 the airport was only used as a base for military activities.
• On 19 February 1985, an Iberia flight from Madrid crashed into Mount Oiz, all passengers and crew died.
• Bilbao Airport (BIO) has 2 runways.
• Bilbao Airport handled 3,800,789 passengers last year.

Facts about Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA):

• Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport was home to the 241st Engineering Installation Squadron of the Tennessee Air National Guard until late 2010, when the squadron moved to a Bonny Oaks facility near the airport.
• Because of Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport's relatively low elevation of 683 feet, planes can take off or land at Chattanooga Metropolitan 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 Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,280 miles (18,153 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On September 19, 2007, a small twin turboprop plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the Brainerd Village Mall parking lot, approximately 2,000 feet from the runway.
• Post-war growth in aviation in the 1950s led to a transfer of the airport's operations to the City of Chattanooga and significant airport expansion with construction of a new runway, which serves as the primary runway today.
• Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) is Marion County Airport (APT), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) W of CHA.
• On November 11, 1972, Southern Airways Flight 49, a hijacked McDonnell Douglas DC-9 with 31 passengers and 3 crew members aboard, landed at Lovell Field from Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport to pick up $10 million that three hijackers had demanded.
• In addition to being known as "Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport", another name for CHA is "Lovell Field".
• In 1930, due to the interest and foresight of John Lovell, a new Chattanooga Airport was established with an unpaved runway at its present location and was named Lovell Field in his honor.
• During World War II, Lovell Field served as a military training facility.
• Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport has a single concourse with five gates.