Nonstop flight route between Bukoba, Tanzania and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bukoba Airport (BKZ), Bukoba, Tanzania and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,641 miles (or 7,469 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 Bukoba 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 Bukoba 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 Bukoba Airport (BKZ):

• The closest airport to Bukoba Airport (BKZ) is Mbarara Airport (MBQ), which is located 100 miles (161 kilometers) WNW of BKZ.
• Bukoba Airport handled 22,599 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Bukoba Airport (BKZ) is Cassidy International Airport (CXI), which is located 11,802 miles (18,993 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Kiribati.
• In addition to being known as "Bukoba Airport", another name for BKZ is "Uwanja wa Ndege wa Bukoba  (Swahili)".
• Bukoba Airport (BKZ) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• The origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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".
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• Base Aérea das LajesBase Aérea Nº 4Aeroporto das Lajes
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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.
• Recently, in August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform for DACT training over the Atlantic Ocean.