Nonstop flight route between North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States and Santa Maria, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Strand Airport (CRE), North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States and Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,984 miles (or 4,803 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 Grand Strand Airport and Santa Maria 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 Grand Strand Airport and Santa Maria 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 Grand Strand Airport (CRE):

• Grand Strand Airport (CRE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Grand Strand Airport's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Grand Strand 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.
• Since 1976, the airport has been used by general aviation, primarily serving the North Myrtle Beach area.
• The origins of the airport are undetermined, however it was likely built during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces.
• This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, which categorizes it as a general aviation airport.
• The furthest airport from Grand Strand Airport (CRE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,644 miles (18,740 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Grand Strand Airport (CRE) is Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SW of CRE.

Facts about Santa Maria Airport (SMA):

• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is Moruya Airport (MYA), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Maria Airport (meaning Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Moruya Airport), and is located 12,166 miles (19,579 kilometers) away in Moruya, New South Wales, Australia.
• It was built in the context of the Second World War, by US troops in order to maintain supply lines to Europe, and inaugurated on 26 July 1945.
• Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.
• For a while, Air France's supersonic Concordes were routed to Santa Maria on refueling layovers between Paris and Caracas.
• Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Airport", another name for SMA is "Aeroporto de Santa Maria".
• Because of Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 308 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria 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.